Supporting Clients at Risk of Suicide

<p>Learning to recognise the signs of imminent suicide and knowing what to do to prevent it is crucial for mental health practitioners. Yet we also must acknowledge the complex situation which suicidality poses for counsellors in that it is both frustratingly difficult to predict accurately, and devastatingly final when a suicide is completed.</p><br> <p>This course offers you the background understandings about its prevalence, both in Australia and globally; the misconceptions about it; an outline of the risk and protective factors; the changes in a person that are flashing neon lights indicating suicidality; the models that give the best explanation of its causes; and a look into the &ldquo;suicidal brain&rdquo; through the lens of neurobiology. Beyond this, it provides you with perspective and tools you can use to assess risk, followed by the steps that must be included in an effective response.</p><br> <p>Suicide is a tragic but preventable phenomenon, and you may be called upon to be the instrument of prevention for a struggling client. As such, learning how to support clients at risk of suicide is a high-priority undertaking for any mental health professional.</p>