Teen Suicide Prevention: Counselors and Mental Health Professionals

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The Role of Mental Health Counselors in Preventing Suicide:

People who are in danger of harming themselves may try to reach out to you as a mental health professional -sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly.  As a mental health counselor, you should be alert for imminent warning signs that a patient may be at risk of suicide.
Approximately 50 percent of those who die by suicide were in treatment with a mental health professional at the time of their death. The suicide of a client has been called an “occupational hazard” for mental health providers and yet many of them do not feel they receive adequate training in the assessment treatment and management of suicidal clients. (Link to Glendon suicide page for resources)

Training Opportunities for Mental Health Professionals:

Online:

For a full list of resources to help you as a practitioner deal with a suicidal client, visit The Glendon Association – Suicide and Self-Destructive Behavior

About the Author

Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. Dr. Lisa Firestone is the Director of Research and Education at The Glendon Association. An accomplished and much requested lecturer, Dr. Firestone speaks at national and international conferences in the areas of couple relations, parenting, and suicide and violence prevention. Dr. Firestone has published numerous professional articles, and most recently was the co-author of Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships (APA Books, 2006), Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice (New Harbinger, 2002), Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion: The Wisdom of Psychotherapy (APA Books, 2003) and The Self Under Siege (Routledge, 2012). Follow Dr. Firestone on Twitter or Google.

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