Dr. Shea begins the day by describing an innovative approach to collaborative treatment planning - a model called "matrix treatment planning" - developed to transform the types of stalled treatment plans that may lead to suicide. The model focuses upon a style of suicide prevention known as “upstream suicide prevention” which attempts to prevent suicides by instilling resiliency in people, so they do not develop suicidal ideation in the first place. In the process Dr. Shea also provides a remarkably fresh definition of happiness, which has numerous ramifications for problem solving, transforming difficult times, suicide prevention, and finding hope, while providing a surprisingly refreshing antidote to clinician "burn-out".

The second session is devoted to understanding seven clinical interviewing innovations known as validity techniques: normalization, shame attenuation, the behavioral incident, gentle assumption, the catch-all question, denial of the specific and symptom amplification - the cornerstones for effectively eliciting suicidal ideation. Dr. Shea demonstrates how these interviewing techniques can also provide powerful gateways for uncovering the types of sensitive topics that may trigger suicidal thoughts including: domestic violence, drug abuse, antisocial behavior, and incest.

After lunch, the final session is devoted to a demonstration of how these validity techniques can be woven into the internationally acclaimed strategy for uncovering suicidal ideation and intent - the Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events (the CASE Approach). A wide variety of the interviewing techniques will be demonstrated by Dr. Shea himself - the creator and developer of the CASE Approach - through the use of compelling video examples.