Masterclass Topic 7: Suicide Risk Assessment

This workshop will focus on the unique issues that arise for supervisors when supporting either novice or experienced clinicians, and the important elements of supervisor competencies that are most relevant to supporting supervisees regarding suicide risk assessment processes.

Workshop goals

Supervisor support of clinicians working with clients experiencing suicidal distress requires not only a knowledge of supervisor competencies (AHPRA, 2018) but an appreciation of contemporary suicide risk assessment practice paradigms, the importance of lived experience expertise, and the minimum standards of duty of care in this space. Furthermore, knowledge of the role of self-care and system-based responses concerning the impacts of this work on the professional cannot be underestimated.

This workshop will focus on the unique issues that arise for supervisors when supporting either novice or experienced clinicians, and the important elements of supervisor competencies that are most relevant to supporting supervisees regarding suicide risk assessment processes. Specifically, supervisors will learn about the knowledge and skills required for facilitating supervisee competencies in suicide risk assessment and assessing these relevant for supporting minimum standards of duty of care.

Understanding mechanisms for supporting supervisee skills in engaging someone in suicidal distress, uncovering suicidal intent, implementing commensurate care responses and appropriate documentation is paramount to providing them with the support and guidance required for practice in this domain. The workshop material presented will be supported by pre-learning materials such as published peer-reviewed articles, and other video and/or youtube clips where appropriate.

Learning objectives

  • Discuss the importance of lived experience for supporting supervisee 'practice engagement skills' including impacts on the therapeutic alliance for the conduct of assessment and responses.
  • Describe and demonstrate appropriate techniques for supervisor support of supervisee suicide risk assessment and formulation capabilities.
  • Describe and apply basic duty of care principles to be practiced in support of supervisee documentation around suicide risk assessment.
  • Describe the impacts of supervisee negative attitudes and fears on their suicide risk assessment practice/responses.
  • Demonstrate techniques for encouraging reflection and insight into supervisee practices engaging and responding to suicidality.

Jacinta Hawgood

Jacinta Hawgood is Senior Lecturer and Program Director of Suicidology at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), where she has worked since 2000. She is a recognised national and international expert in clinical psychosocial needs-based assessment and suicide prevention education. Her clinical work in suicidology spans over 23 years; operating a part time private clinic for those in suicidal distress and bereaved by suicide and supervising other psychologists in this domain for over 15 years.

She is the lead author of the Systematic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality protocol (STARS-p) (Hawgood & De Leo, 2018), which was the focus of her PhD. Her research expertise is in suicide assessment, evaluation of suicide prevention training, workforce competencies in suicide prevention, lived experience of suicide, and stigma and suicidality.
Patrick Jones - Course author