Suicide Risk Assessment & Management: Essential Strategies for Clinicians
Friday, May 9, 2025
8:30am - 9am (Check-in, light pastries, & coffee)
9am-12pm (event presentation)
12pm-12:30pm (optional tour of Newport Academy)
with David Rogers LMFT, Psy.D.
3 CE credits
In person
Description
Suicide risk assessment and crisis intervention are critical competencies for mental health professionals working in diverse clinical settings. This workshop provides licensed therapists with evidence-based strategies for assessing, managing, and documenting suicide risk while maintaining ethical and legal standards.
Grounded in well-established psychological principles, this training integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention (Stanley & Brown, 2012), the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (Joiner, 2008), and crisis intervention models such as the EAR Method (Burns, 2010). Participants will learn how to distinguish between static and dynamic risk factors, differentiate risk status from risk state, and apply clinical decision-making frameworks to determine appropriate interventions.
The workshop explores best practices in suicide risk formulation, emphasizing structured risk assessment tools, direct inquiry techniques, and protective factor evaluation to promote client safety. Participants will also gain skills in crisis communication and de-escalation, learning how to engage distressed clients using validation, rapport-building techniques, and structured intervention models. The course highlights common pitfalls in risk assessment, such as over-reliance on screening tools or inadequate documentation, and provides strategies to ensure clear, legally defensible clinical records.
Additionally, the training addresses the emerging role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in suicide risk assessment, reviewing current research on AI-driven prediction models (Guntuku et al., 2021) while critically examining the ethical and practical limitations of AI-assisted clinical decision-making.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
- Identify key suicide warning signs and risk factors and apply validated risk assessment strategies to inform clinical interventions.
- Differentiate between risk status and risk state to determine appropriate levels of care and intervention planning.
- Effectively engage clients in safety planning, de-escalate crisis situations, and document risk management strategies in compliance with legal and ethical guidelines.
Presenter
David Rogers LMFT, Psy.D.: I am a doctoral-level therapist (LMFT 91087) and researcher with a deep belief in the transformative power of human relationships. Coming from a family of medical doctors and nurses, I have always been drawn to helping professions. I founded my private practice to provide therapy while developing evidence-based interventions in collaboration with Centro di Terapia Strategica and The Bateson Clinic. My research on advanced brief strategic paradoxical intervention is published. As a nationally certified Assessing and Managing Suicidal Risk (AMSR) trainer, I supervised after-hours mental health teams in Placer County emergency departments and jails for four years. I also created Sierra Mental Wellness Group’s Continuing Education division, securing CAMFT accreditation. I specialize in anxiety-related disorders, ADHD, couples and family therapy, men’s issues, medical practitioners, and first responders. I help passionate, motivated individuals, couples, and families build healthier relationships while distilling meaning from their experiences. When I’m not working, you can most likely find me spending time with my wife and two young children, traveling, tinkering with 3D printing, or composing electronic music.
Other Details
Time: 9am-12pm
(8:30am checkin, 9am-12pm 3hr CE event)
(see specific outline in confirmation and reminder emails)
Location: 1740 Creekside Oaks Dr #100, Sacramento, CA 95833
Sponsor
Cost:
Non-member $55
Licensed Member $50
Associate Member $45
Student Member $40
Early Bird (ends 2 weeks prior to event)
Non-member $50
Licensed Member $45
Associate Member $40
Student Member $35
For questions, more information, accommodations: contact us at sacramentocamft@gmail.com
This training is informed by peer-reviewed research and aligns with best practices recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). Designed for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCCs), and Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEPs), this workshop ensures clinicians leave with practical, actionable strategies to enhance their ability to assess, intervene, and promote safety in high-risk clinical situations.
This is an introductory, intermediate, and advanced level course. This program will benefit LMFT, LPCC, LEP and LCSW licensees and pre-licensees. Open to all mental health professionals, both members and non-members.
This course meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education law and ethics credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (SVC-CAMFT), provider #62279, is approved by CAMFT to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. SVC-CAMFT maintains the responsibility for the program and all its content.
CE credit will be awarded via email after the completion of the course in exchange for a course evaluation. No CE credits will be awarded to persons not attending the presentation in it's entirety. Partial CE credit will not be awarded.
Event Policies
