Suicide Prevention

What is lethal means safety? Can limiting access to lethal means impact a suicidal crisis? How can lethal means be effectively addressed by crisis line workers during a crisis conversation? The Suicide Prevention Resource Center's online course Talking About Lethal Means: A Course for Crisis Counselors answers these questions and more. This two-hour, self-paced online course is designed specifically for crisis line workers.

The course includes four chapters that incorporate videos, interactive scenarios, and knowledge checks to allow learners to practice skills and reflect on their crisis work experiences. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the importance of reducing access to lethal means during a suicidal crisis. Chapter 2 explores practical aspects of talking about lethal means during crisis conversations and guides the learner through techniques for approaching the topic of lethal means and methods for reducing access to means such as firearms and medication. Chapter 3 reviews how building a strong connection with an individual in crisis can impact lethal means conversations. It also provides considerations for working with adolescents. Finally, Chapter 4 focuses on emergency interventions and explores ways to ensure involuntary emergency interventions are used only when absolutely necessary. It also addresses the ways lethal means conversations can impact decisions about emergency interventions. 

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), under Grant No. 1H79SM083028.  

The views, opinions, and content expressed in this product do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, or HHS.

Certificate of Completion Available

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This 3 hour course can help states and territories build their suicide prevention data capacity and promote equity in all data-related efforts. Designed to be completed in collaboration with data partners, the course also offers guidance on advancing such partnerships to strengthen data systems. 

No matter where you are in your data efforts, this course is for you. In addition to customizable worksheets and resources, the content includes a handy glossary of terms. Free and self-paced, the course is open to anyone and can be completed in multiple sessions. Exit the course at any time and return later to the place where you left off.  

This online course was sponsored by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, which is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), under Grant No. 1H79SM083028. The views, opinions, and content expressed in this product do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, or HHS.

Certificate of Completion Available

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Safety Planning for Youth Suicide Prevention is a one-hour, self- paced online course designed for licensed health and behavioral health professionals and students in clinical training programs. The course aims to develop participants’ knowledge and skills in using the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention, an evidence-based intervention developed by Dr. Barbara Stanley and Dr. Gregory Brown. Course participants will review the core elements of the Safety Planning Intervention, explore strategies for effective collaboration with young people and their family members, and consider ways to overcome common challenges to delivering the intervention with fidelity.

This online course was sponsored by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, which is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), under Grant No. 1H79SM083028. The views, opinions, and content expressed in this product do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, or HHS.

Certificate of Completion Available

1 Hour CE Available

NASW, CME

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If you have been called on to develop or expand a suicide prevention program in a state or community, and you want it to have maximum impact, then this course may be for you. A Strategic Planning Approach to Suicide Prevention can help you identify activities that will be effective in addressing the problem of suicide and help you prioritize your efforts. To bring the approach to life, this training presents a case study that illustrates how a community task force applies the strategic planning process to their work.

This 2 hour course teaches you to:

• Describe the suicide problem and its context.
• Choose long-term goals for a suicide prevention program.
• Identify key risk and protective factors to focus on.
• Select or develop interventions to decrease or increase these risk and protective factors.
• Plan an evaluation.
• Implement the interventions and the evaluation.
• Take further action based on the evaluation.

This course is open to anyone and can be completed in approximately two or three hours. You do not have to complete the course in one session. You can exit the course at any time and return later to the place where you left off. 

SPRC is not a crisis center. If you are thinking of hurting yourself, or if you are concerned that someone you know may be suicidal, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by phone 1-800-273-TALKCall: 1-800-273-TALK (8255

 Certificate of Completion

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Effectively preventing suicide requires an understanding of who is attempting and dying by suicide, where the problem is most severe, and under what circumstances attempts and suicide deaths occur. But how do you find the data you need to answer these questions and others? Locating and Understanding Data for Suicide Prevention presents a variety of data sources that are useful for finding information about suicide deaths, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation. This 2 hour course also explains key concepts that will help you better understand the data you find.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Define and understand the difference between suicide deaths, suicide attempts, suicide ideation, and risk and protective factors for suicide.
• Explain key terms that are essential to accurately interpreting data and making meaningful comparisons; this includes counts, rates, and trends. 
• Identify some commonly used and readily accessible online national data sources, and the type of data that is available from each source.
• Identify some alternative data sources that may be available in states and communities, the type of data available from these sources, and considerations when approaching organizations and agencies for these data.
• Think critically about the strengths and limitations of a given data source. 
• This course is open to anyone and can be completed in approximately two hours. You do not have to complete the course in one session. You can exit the course at any time and return later to the place where you left off. 

SPRC is not a crisis center. If you are thinking of hurting yourself, or if you are concerned that someone you know may be suicidal, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by phone 1-800-273-TALKCall: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

 Certificate of Completion

REGISTER NOW AND BEGIN COURSE