Suicide remains one of the most pressing of all mental health problems. Join one of the great innovators in the field of suicide prevention and author of the classic text, The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment, Shawn Shea, as he describes some of the newest approaches to preventing suicide in young people.

This workshop for schools and tertiary education institutions will provide school leaders and counsellors - from high schools to tertiary institutions - with the state of the art skills necessary to tackle some of the most difficult clinical situations facing experienced counsellors regarding suicide assessment.

Topics covered include:

• The practical use of risk and protective factors in formulating risk
• Innovative strategies for uncovering suicidal ideation and intent
• Forensically sound methods for documenting risk
• Interview strategies for uncovering taboo topics often associated with increased suicide risk such as substance abuse and incest
• Interviewing tips for spotting dangerous psychotic process both directed towards self and others.

This full-day workshop consists of 4 segments / workshops:

1. A refreshing look is given to the concept of arriving at a clinical formulation of risk using risk factors, protective factors, and warning signs.
2. Understanding seven practical validity techniques: normalization, shame attenuation, the behavioural incident, gentle assumption, the catch-all question, denial of the specific and symptom amplification - the cornerstones for effectively eliciting suicidal ideation.
3. A vivid videotape demonstration will explore how these validity techniques can be woven into a specific strategy for eliciting suicidal ideation – the Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events (the CASE Approach).
4. The last workshop looks at the puzzling world of psychosis, which often first shows itself in high school and college years.