This course is based upon material published by the Workplace Postvention Task Force of the American Association of Suicidology and the Workplace Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and is available as an open-access article.

Managers play a critical role in setting the tone for how the rest of the workplace will respond to suicide.  This course presents details of action steps to be taken in the aftermath of a suicide.  The steps encompass the immediate, acute phase, the short-term recovery phase, and the longer-term reconstructing phase.  It includes a checklist for each action step, as well as sample written notifications that may be used following a suicide that impacts the workplace.  Resources, definitions, and a decision-making flowchart give this course particular usefulness.  This course has been updated with new information.  The updated content includes epidemiological data, general risk factors, risk factors associated with serious mental illness, and protective factors. In addition, the course content describes best practice guidelines for suicide risk assessment and provides links to valid and reliable assessment tools for brief screening and standardized clinical assessments. 

This course on recovering from workplace suicide is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work.  This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of suicide postvention in the workplace.  The course material includes a review of interventions.  It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal.  

Authors:  Workplace Postvention Task Force of the American Association of Suicidology, Workplace Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, Carson J. Spencer Foundation, and Crisis Care Network and Suicide Prevention Resources Center, American Psychiatric Association

Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding workplace suicide postvention.  Specifically, a professional will:

• Recognize the critical roles managers play in setting the tone for how the rest of the workplace will respond to a suicide
• Summarize the ten action steps for dealing with the aftermath of a suicide
• Define key terms related to suicide and grief

Citation:  Suicide Prevention Resource Center and American Psychiatric Association in partnership with SAMHSA.  (2020).  Suicide and Serious Mental Illness:  An Overview of Considerations, Assessment and Safety Planning. Retrieved from https://smiadviser.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SMI-Adviser-Suicide-and-Serious-Mental-Illness.pdf on 8/31/2021.  And   Carson J Spencer Foundation, Crisis Care Network, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and American Association of Suicidology (2013). A Manager’s Guide to Suicide Postvention in the Workplace: 10 Action Steps for Dealing with the Aftermath of Suicide. Denver, CO: Carson J Spencer Foundation.

This course content is based on a publication that has been peer-reviewed, the scientific standard for evaluating academic work. All studies and scientifically derived evidence have limitations that should be considered. If you have any questions about the accuracy or limitations of the content, please contact us at support@ce-classes.com and we will get back to you.