This presentation helps practitioners and others understand suicide from a risk management perspective. The incidence of suicide is on the rise and it is important for practitioners to understand among various populations how to assess risk and develop plans with patients to mitigate these risks. This presentation will review how liability works in legal settings and also how to reduce the chance of malpractice. It will also discuss standards of care regarding assessment and documentation, with some focus on firearms and risk assessment as an important risk mitigation strategy. The presentation will also review how to incorporate thinking of safety nets in risk reduction strategies.  

Format

Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity with post-test.

This presentation was recorded on August 26, 2021.

Learning Objectives

• Utilize suicide screening risk assessments to reduce liability and identify patients at risk of suicide. 
• Identify risk management strategies and assessments of firearm suicide and violence risk for patients at risk of suicide. 
• Evaluate the effectiveness in peer support services in treating patients at risk of suicide. 

Target Audience

Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Physician (non-psychiatrist), Physician Assistant , Other mental health professionals   

Instructional Level

Intermediate

Estimate Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 1.0 hour
Program Start Date: September 14, 2021 
Program End Date: September 14, 2024

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ or a certificate of participation may do so by viewing the live presentation and completing the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (other disciplines) showing the event date and hours earned.  

Continuing Education Credit

Physicians

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

All financial relationships relevant to this activity have been mitigated.  

Instructor

• Debra Pinals, MD is a forensic psychiatric expert in the interface with the civil and criminal justice system and mental health system as well as working with co-occurring substance use disorders. She has worked in and consulting to states on systems issues and the interface for persons with SMI and corrections, reentry services, specialty courts, police interface and training and integrated healthcare with mental health care. She has served in an academic role teaching and training psychiatry trainees, lawyers, judges, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals, about SMI. She has been the PI or co-PI of over 10 grants funded by SAMHSA or by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Dr. Pinals reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 

Planners

• John Torous, MD, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.  

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This website requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be:  Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact LearningCenter@psych.org for technical assistance