ON THE EDGE OF LIFE:
INTRODUCTION TO TREATING SUICIDALITY
Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention Training
In Partnership with Therapist Development Center
ABOUT THE COURSE:
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.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This course is appropriate for mental health clinicians at all levels of experience to work more effectively with clients experiencing varying degrees of suicidal ideation.
Therapist Development Center, provider 1449, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Therapist Development Center maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 5/30/21-5/30/24. Social workers completing this course receive 6 continuing education credits.
In California, the BBS accepts courses that are approved under ASWB ACE for all licensees.
INSTRUCTORS:
Amanda Rowan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder and CEO of the Therapist Development Center. Amanda graduated with honors from Dartmouth College where she majored in neuroscience and completed her senior thesis on the neuroscience of the learning process. She earned her Masters in Social Welfare at UCLA. She completed 12 years of intensive Gestalt Therapy and was certified by the Pacific Gestalt Institute. Since founding the Therapist Development Center in 2008, Amanda has prepared more than 40,000 therapists nationwide to pass their state licensing exams.
Robin Gluck is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She is the Vice President of Continuing Education and an exam coach with Therapist Development Center. Robin was instrumental in creating the law and ethics exam prep program and the MFT clinical written exam. Robin has been teaching law and ethics to associate MFTs since 2012 when she joined TDC. Robin has a bachelor’s degree from Emory University, a master’s degree in public policy from American University, and a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling from San Francisco State University.
Sharon Greene is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Sharon has been adjunct faculty at the University of Southern California and California State University Northridge in the Graduate Social Work Departments for the past 5 years. She is currently the training director at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center, which is a nonprofit that provides mental health services to children and their families. She has been providing mental health services to children and their families for over 15 years. She is a certified therapist, supervisor and trainer in Interpersonal Psychotherapy by the Interpersonal Psychotherapy Institute.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completion, participants are expected to be able to:
- Describe the phenomenological approach to suicide management
- Summarize the meaning of hermeneutics of generosity and its clinical implications
- Summarize the current state of suicide training for mental health providers
- Explain the various components of the Edge of Life model
- Identify and describe each of the five levels of the Courage to Live continuum
- Describe the biopsychosocial and spiritual components of the Edge of Life model
- List the risk and protective factors identified under the biopsychosocial and spiritual categories
COURSE OUTLINE:
- Introduction
- Hermeneutics of Generosity
- Phenomenology of Suicide
- State of the Field
- TDC Suicide Survey
- USA Today Article
- Courage to Live Continuum
- Edge of Life Model
PRICE: Free to new and renewing chapter members
HOW TO ACCESS THIS COURSE: Once registered, participants will be sent access to the course after January 1, 2023 and be able to download documents and listen to recorded audio lectures for up to two years.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: The participant will be able to print their certificate of completion immediately after receiving a score of 80% or better on the posttest and completing the course evaluation.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Please notify sfvcamftpre@gmail.com if you wish to cancel. Course is free to all new and renewing members.
ADA NEEDS: We are happy to accommodate your ADA needs, please email help@therapistdevelopmentcenter.com.
Questions? Contact our VP of Membership here
Grievances? Contact our President here
Policies: View a list of our policies here