First Responders: Providers, Health Professionals, and Law Enforcement

If you are a first responder, chances are you've experienced working with a client, patient, or community member in distress or has expressed suicidal thoughts or behaviors.  We know that people who attempt suicide make some type of healthcare visit in the weeks before the attempt. First responders are well positioned to provide suicide care and reduce risk, in the workplace and community. Some of the following trainings are online and at no cost. 

If you have any questions or would like a customized training for your office or workplace, please contact the BHRS Prevention and Outreach Team.

Preventing Suicide in Emergency Departments

This course teaches healthcare professionals who work in an ED how to conduct screening, assessment, and brief interventions, such as safety planning and lethal means counseling. It also addresses patient-centered care for patients with suicide risk, patient safety during the ED visit, and incorporating suicide prevention into discharge planning.

Audience: This course is open to anyone. It is designed especially for healthcare professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, behavioral health providers) who work in EDs with patients at risk of suicide.

Format: Self directed, online

Time/Date: Anytime

Cost: FREE

CALM: Counseling for the Assessment of Lethal Means

Reducing access to lethal means, such as firearms and medication, can determine whether a person at risk for suicide lives or dies.

This free and virtual course is about how to reduce access to the methods people use to kill themselves. It covers who needs lethal means counseling and how to work with people at risk for suicide—and their families—to reduce access. 

 

Safety Planning for Suicide Prevention

Are you a mental health provider, case worker, health professional or family member caring for a client in distress? Safety planning has been utilized in diverse care settings to help reduce suicide risk and improve coping skills. During this one hour training, you will learn about a safety planning framework for youth, TAY and adults, engage in group discussion, resources.  This session will focus on safety planning for all populations.

Presenters: Liz Magdid, Marin County-BHRS and Mental Health Practitioner and Vanessa Blum, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Marin County-BHRS.

Upcoming training to be announced.

 

 

Shield of Resilience Training for Law Enforcement

Behavioral health issues are the most significant risk to the safety of law enforcement officers.

Shield of Resilience is a training course that helps law enforcement officers learn to recognize signs and symptoms of stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal thoughts and actions.

This course will suggest ways to develop and build resiliency, and offer tips on where and how to seek help, if it is needed.

Shield of Resilience—which includes videos, quizzes, resources, and a final exam—will help law enforcement officers understand:

  • The unique stressors that law enforcement officers are exposed to in the course of their duties
  • How to recognize the signs and symptoms of acute and chronic stress, depression, and PTSD
  • The signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation and how to talk with a fellow officer who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts
  • How to facilitate peer-to-peer behavioral health support
  • The resources and support tools that help build resiliency
  • Where to find help and support for themselves or fellow officers