Suicide prevention trainings ramp up to meet demand
June 20, 2014
Training in suicide prevention is now mandated for some 26,000 social service and mental health professionals in the state of Washington – due to the passage of the Matt Adler Suicide Assessment, Management & Treatment Act (HB 2366), which went into effect in January of this year. Most professionals in these fields did not receive suicide prevention training as part of their degree programs – yet dealing with potentially suicidal clients is common. A program called Forefront was established at the University of Washington to help set the requirements for trainings that satisfy the mandate and to expand suicide prevention awareness in the state. Sue Eastgard, director of training at Forefront, noted that the desire for these skills does not come only from the new mandate. “People want training,” she said. “Graduate education didn’t adequately prepare them, so they’ve operated by the seat of their pants. For some that’s worked OK, for others it’s been harrowing and heartbreaking.”
Spark Extra! Read “Weaving a Net of Clinicians Trained in Suicide Care” on p. 124 of this special issue of National Council magazine. The article reviews the essential components of effective suicide prevention training and describes several programs.