VISTAS Online is an innovative publication produced for ACA by Dr. Garry R. Walz and Dr. Jeanne C. Bleuer of Counseling Outfitters, LLC. Its purpose is to provide a means of capturing the ideas, information and experiences generated by the annual ACA Conference and selected ACA Division Conferences. Papers on a program or practice that has been validated through research or experience may also be submitted. This digital collection of peer-reviewed articles is authored by counselors, for counselors. VISTAS Online contains the full text of over 900 proprietary counseling articles published from 2004 to 2017.
2016
Counselor Training in Suicide Assessment, Prevention, and Management
Karlesia T. Montague, Rochelle Rush Cassidy, and Robin Guill Liles
2016
Suicide claimed the lives of 41,149 individuals in 2013, which is equivalent to 113 suicides a day or one every 13 minutes. Research suggests that with suicide occurring so frequently, mental health professionals are likely to encounter suicidal clients; therefore, professionals must be prepared to address this form of crisis. This article examines mental health professionals’ self-efficacy regarding suicide assessment, intervention, and management and the inadequate preparation in graduate programs. Implications for practitioners in effectively assessing suicidal clients are explored.
Keywords: suicide, crisis, competency, suicide assessment