Responding to Suicide Survivors

About the Course:

The webinar “Responding to Suicide Survivors,” will teach participants what they might encounter, and what they should do, when conducting Critical Incident Response with suicide survivors. You will learn about the risk and protective factors for suicide, the impact of suicide on survivors, how reactions to a suicide differ from those of other types of death, common themes and teaching points, and what people can do to help those who are grieving. After this one hour webinar you will have a better understanding of what suicide survivors often experience, and what you can do to help them.

Journal/Publisher:

Crisis Care Network

Publication Date:

2015

Author

Dennis Potter, LMSW, CAADC, CCS, FAAETS (presenter)

About the Author:

Dennis Potter, LMSW, CAADC, CCS, FAAETS, serves as Manager, Consultant Relations and Training for Crisis Care Network. He is a licensed social worker and certified addiction counselor. Dennis has received training and supervision in Cognitive Therapy from the Beck Institute in Philadelphia, PA. He has participated in a train the trainer courses in Motivational Interviewing and has provided this training to a variety of mental health, substance abuse agencies and in the business community. Dennis helped to form one of the first community based Crisis Response Teams in the country. He was one of the founding members of the Mid-West Michigan CISM Team and the Michigan Crisis Response Association. Dennis is recognized as a Fellow, by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. To achieve this credential, he completed a comprehensive application and examination, along with supporting documentation, to validate his experience in working with survivors of traumatic events, knowledge of the literature, and level of education. Since 1989, Dennis has helped to train many of the CISM teams in Michigan and in 24 other states. He is frequently called upon for consultation after particularly difficult events. Dennis has conducted or consulted on all manner of traumatic events for communities, businesses, schools, police, fire and emergency services personnel, the U S Post Office, and community mental health agencies. He has presented at many local, state, regional, national and international conferences. Dennis has provided training in both Latvia and Denmark. He has presented at the last 10 International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) World Congresses and was awarded the ICISF Excellence in Training and Educations Award at the ICISF 2011 World Congress.

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially psychologists, counselors and social workers who seek knowledge about critical incident response with suicide survivors. It is appropriate for intermediate level of participants’ knowledge.

Course Objectives:

1. Identify the risk and protective factors for suicide

2. Recognize the impact of suicide on survivors in the Five Domains of Life

3. Utilize teaching points for common themes among suicide survivors

4. Recommend what to say and ways to help someone who is grieving