Serving Oregon and SW Washington
Welcome to CREAPA- Providing Education to EAP Professionals and Community Partners
All CREAPA Lunch n’ Learn Meetings are held at the Oregon State Office Building unless otherwise noted below. The Oregon State Building is located at 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland, 97232. Registration begins at 11:30AM and buffet lunch begins at 11:45AM. Program starts at 12:00PM. Paid parking is located on site and across the street. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Venue Change: This Lunch n' Learn will be held at Portland Adventist Medical Center
Suicide and Veterans: Assessing and Safety Planning to Reduce Risk
The suicide prevention team at the Portland VA Medical Center will review the latest information on suicide risk and discuss the VA’s suicide prevention program. They will provide the latest information on assessing suicide risk and teach participants how to intervene with an evidence-based safety plan.
A better understanding of suicide risk leads to improved suicide risk assessments. The research evidence is clear that no-harm contracts don’t work. It’s also true that many of those who eventually commit suicide never engage in treatment. They have multiple single visits in either emergency rooms or clinic visits. The current standard for a thorough suicide risk assessment is one that reviews risk and protective factors and assigns a level of risk based on clinical judgment. A treatment plan is then developed specific to the individual and reflecting their level of risk. There are pitfalls related to relying too much on the lens of mental illness. Thomas Joiners theory on burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and capability may be particularly helpful in assessing risk for suicide. The team will also address the current thinking about no-harm contracts.
The VA is using Safety Planning as developed by Barbara Stanley, Ph.D. and Gregory Brown, Ph.D. which is an intervention that can be done in any setting and which provides the client with tools to help them survive their next suicidal crisis.
Panelists:
Robert Tell, LCSW
Lead Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Aimee Coughlin, LCSW
Acute Services Coordinator,
SAFEVET Clinical Demonstration Project
Joe Bertagnolli, LMSW
Suicide Prevention Social Worker
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________May 4, 2012
Oregon State Office Building
Heroin and Prescription Opiates: A Growing Threat
Ronald Schwerzler, MD, Medical Director for Serenity Lane
