Counseling on Access to Lethal Means Clinical Workshop (05-16-25)IN PERSON

This clinical workshop aims to guide those in mental health, medical, and human service professions to counsel individuals and their families to temporarily reduce access to firearms and dangerous medications during times of heightened suicide risk.

Participants will be introduced to the means safety prevention framework, providing a rationale based on a large body of empirical evidence and demonstrating how it strengthens broader suicide prevention strategies. Participants will also explore how characteristics of suicidal processes often can be disrupted by reducing immediate access to lethal means. We will discuss how to incorporate means safety steps into existing risk assessment and crisis response protocols as well as the range of options for increasing means safety. Additionally, participants will learn how to utilize means of safety approaches flexibly and creatively to reduce access to means other than firearms and medications that are related to a suicide plan. Effective communication around means of safety is critical and attendees will practice utilizing motivational interviewing techniques to have collaborative discussions around means safety planning, with an emphasis on temporariness and increasing the safety of the at-risk individual. Culturally sensitive and technically accurate language around discussions of firearms will also be addressed.

** Montgomery County Ohio residents (or those working in the county) and those in the surrounding area will be given preference.

CEUS:

Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services has been approved by:

the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board to offer continuing education credit hours to Counselors and Social Workers (Provider #RCS111304) and has approved this training for 1.5 hours (continuing) CEUs;

the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board to offer recognized clock hours to Chemical Dependency Counselors and Prevention Professionals (Provider #50-17863) and has approved this training for 1.5 hours of CEUs (C7) (P6).

The Ohio Board of Nursing will accept a continuing education activity that has been approved by a board or an agency that regulates a health care profession or related discipline in Ohio including the Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. Information regarding continuing education requirements is available on the OBN website here.

Other licensing boards may also accept these hours, however it is the attendee’s responsibility to establish this prior to attending.

By registering and attending this session, you acknowledge and agree that your photo may be taken and used by Montgomery County ADAMHS. If you do not agree to have your photo used, you must contact the organizer prior to the class.

If you require reasonable accommodation to participate in a training session, please contact the organizer.