On The Edge of Life: Introduction to Treating Suicidality

On The Edge of Life: Introduction to Treating Suicidality is organized by Therapist Development Center (TDC).

Description:
After reviewing and attending a multitude of suicide trainings, Amanda Rowan, LCSW and a team of highly skilled therapists introduce to you the Edge of Life Model, a humanistic, phenomenological approach to treating suicidality that is holistic, practical, and grounded in evidence-based practices.

This course is the culmination of more than a decade of research, exploration and personal experiences as both a clinician and a client impacted by suicide. The course: 1) starts with an experiential activity that provides clinicians with an opportunity to honestly explore their personal reactions to working with clients sitting on the Edge of Life,  2) takes a deep dive into the current state of suicide training in the mental health care field and discusses the deficits that need to be addressed, 3) reviews the phenomenologically grounded Courage to Live Continuum of Risk, an assessment framework that helps clinicians identify their client’s level of risk and understand how their clients can be at different points on the continuum at different points in their life, and the final lecture 4) explores the Edge of Life Model, looking at how the client’s expression of suicidality is a manifestation of deep suffering rooted in complex interactions of the Bio/Psycho/Social/Spiritual life space.

This course lays the foundation to improve a clinician’s ability to build genuine connections with their clients, gain a better understanding of their clients’ suffering, and expand their capacity to attend to clients who are on the edge of life.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion, participants are expected to be able to:

1. Describe the phenomenological approach to suicide management
2. Summarize the meaning of hermeneutics of generosity and its clinical implications
3. Summarize the current state of suicide training for mental health providers
4. Explain the various components of the Edge of Life model
5. Identify and describe each of the five levels of the Courage to Live continuum
6. Describe the biopsychosocial and spiritual components of the Edge of Life model
7. List the risk and protective factors identified under the biopsychosocial and spiritual categories

Course Outline:

1. Introduction
2. Hermeneutics of Generosity
3. Phenomenology of Suicide
4. State of the Field
   - TDC Suicide Survey
   - USA Today Article
5. Courage to Live Continuum
6. Edge of Life Model