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Suicide Intervention Trainings

Workforce Training: Behavioral and Physical Healthcare Providers

A competent and confident behavioral and physical healthcare workforce can ensure early identification of suicide risk and use of evidence-informed strategies to address the needs of suicidal individuals. 60 to 70 percent of individuals who die by suicide see a medical or behavioral healthcare professional in the year before death.

Senate Bill 48, passed in 2017, was designed to support the behavioral and physical healthcare workforce by promoting continuing education in suicide assessment, treatment and management.

  • SB 48 requires certain behavioral and physical healthcare providers to report to their licensing boards, at re-licensure, any suicide assessment, treatment and management continuing education they’ve taken.
  • Licensees affected by the law are: Nurses, physicians, physician assistants, licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, naturopaths, chiropractors, social workers, psychologists, school counselors, physician assistants, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and occupational therapists.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), on behalf of the relevant boards, surveys providers at re-licensure as part of its regular Health Care Workforce Reporting program. The Oregon Medical Board and the Teachers Standards and Practices Commission, which licenses school counselors, conduct their own surveys. Information gathered in all of the surveys is compiled and reported to the Legislature by OHA in each even-numbered year.

Licensees can consider the following resources for continuing education under Senate Bill 48.

Contact for more information:
Ann Kirkwood, Suicide Intervention Coordinator
ann.d.kirkwood@dhsoha.state.or.us
503-752-4660

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Oregon's Kognito program offers courses available for free to Oregon emergency department staff, primary care physicians working with adolescents, and school-based health center staff. The courses are provided through the Oregon Public Health Division, with funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

At-Risk in Primary Care: Adolescents

This course is on the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. This 30 minute program is an online professional development simulation for primary healthcare professionals.

The training is intended to:

  • Improve skill, knowledge, and attitudes in addressing behavioral and mental health with patients;
  • Improve knowledge and skill when screening and assessing patients for substance use, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts;
  • Enable providers to conduct brief interventions using motivational interviewing to build trust and increase adherence and engagement in collaborative treatment planning; and
  • Help providers refer patients to treatment services and follow up on referrals.

At-Risk in the Emergency Department

This is a 1 hour program available to all Oregon ED staff.

The program is an interactive role-play simulation for ED personnel that builds skills to:

  • Screen patients for substance use, mental health disorders and suicide risk;
  • Collaboratively discuss treatment plans using motivational interviewing techniques, and
  • Refer patients to obtain further support.

Contact us for course access information.

Community Training: Recognize and Respond to Signs of Suicide Risk

Resources are provided here with the goal of establishing a network of adults and youth in every community who can recognize and respond to youth exhibiting signs of suicide risk and can assist them in getting professional help.

RESPONSE is a comprehensive, high-school based youth suicide prevention program that increases awareness among high school staff, students and parents.