PPsychology.com

Continuing education / 6 hours · Intermediate

Suicide Assessment and Safety Planning

Six hours on the clinical work most mandates point at and most clinicians want more practice in: structured risk assessment, collaborative safety planning, means safety conversations, disposition decisions, and documentation that reflects what you actually assessed. Aligned with recognized frameworks including the Columbia protocol and the Stanley and Brown safety planning intervention.

What the course covers

  1. Risk assessment frameworks and structured inquiry
  2. Collaborative safety planning, step by step
  3. Means safety conversations
  4. Disposition, follow-up, and continuity of care
  5. Documentation and worked case demonstrations

After this course you will be able to

  • Conduct a structured suicide risk assessment using recognized frameworks
  • Build a collaborative safety plan a client can actually use
  • Hold a means safety conversation without rupturing the alliance
  • Document assessment, plan, and follow-up defensibly

Who this course is for

  • Clinicians who want structured assessment instead of gut feel
  • Anyone whose state mandates suicide prevention training
  • Supervisors who want a shared framework for their team

Requirements this course is built for

These state rules name the topic this course teaches. Credit approvals are in progress; each requirement guide shows the current rule and source.

Suicide risk assessment and intervention
California social workers requirement guide Read → Suicide risk assessment and intervention
California counselors requirement guide Read → Suicide risk assessment and intervention
California marriage and family therapists requirement guide Read → Suicide risk assessment and intervention
California psychologists requirement guide Read →

How it works

Self-paced reading with optional audio, case material worked in full, and short knowledge checks along the way. The course ends with a final exam (60 questions, retake allowed) and a course evaluation. Your certificate of completion issues immediately and stays downloadable in your account.

Common questions

Which frameworks does it teach?
Structured inquiry aligned with the Columbia protocol, the Stanley and Brown safety planning intervention step by step, means safety conversations, and disposition decisions with a fully worked outpatient case.
Does it satisfy my state mandate?
Several states mandate suicide training (Washington, California one-time, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Nevada and others). Approvals and state acceptance are in progress; the eligibility line on this page will state exactly what the course satisfies before you rely on it.
Is it appropriate if I rarely see acute risk?
Yes. The course is built for generalist practice: recognizing risk you were not expecting, responding without panic, and documenting defensibly.
Eligibility. CE credit approvals for this course are in progress with our accreditation partners. Until an approval is confirmed for your license type and state, treat this course as professional development. This page will list the exact approvals the course carries; we do not claim approvals we do not have.

Authorship. This course is authored by a named, licensed clinician and independently reviewed before release. Faculty name, credentials, and disclosures appear here at release.

Refunds. Full refund within 30 days if you have not yet passed the final exam.

Crisis resources. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) in the US. Our courses train professionals and are not a crisis service.