Safeguarding Individuals at Risk of Suicide (Refresher)COURSE OVERVIEW: Welcome to the course, Safeguarding Individuals at Risk of Suicide. This program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognise, respond to, and support individuals at risk of suicide. By the end of this course, you will be able to identify potential suicide risks, implement intervention strategies, and facilitate access to necessary services, ensuring the safety and well being of individuals under your

COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the course, Safeguarding Individuals at Risk of Suicide. This program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognise, respond to, and support individuals at risk of suicide. By the end of this course, you will be able to identify potential suicide risks, implement intervention strategies, and facilitate access to necessary services, ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals under your care.

We begin by exploring the indicators of potential suicide risk, including various forms of self-harm. Recognising these signs is crucial for early intervention and can significantly reduce the risk of suicide.

Next, we delve into the principles and practices of suicide intervention. You will learn evidence-based strategies for engaging with individuals at risk, building trust, and providing support to those experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Referral options and procedures for accessing services are essential for ensuring individuals receive the help they need. We will cover how to navigate and utilise various support systems and resources available within your community.

Facilitating emergency interventions involves knowing the correct procedures to follow during a crisis. This section will guide you through the steps to take when immediate action is required to protect an individual from harm.

Personal values, beliefs, and attitudes can either facilitate or impede suicide intervention. We will discuss how your own perceptions and biases may influence your ability to provide effective support and how to manage these factors to ensure compassionate care.

Common notions and assumptions about who may be at risk of suicide will be examined. Understanding these assumptions helps in broadening your perspective and recognising that anyone, regardless of background or circumstances, may be vulnerable.

Considering how the presence of mental health concerns might influence your intervention role and inform referral options is vital. We will explore how various mental health issues intersect with suicide risk and how to tailor your approach accordingly.

Principles and practices of self-care and supervision are crucial for those providing suicide intervention. You will learn strategies for maintaining your own well-being and seeking supervision to process your experiences and improve your practice.

Legal and ethical considerations are integral to suicide intervention. We will discuss how these considerations apply to organisational and individual practice, ensuring that your actions are both legally sound and ethically responsible.

In practical terms, you will learn to recognise and respond to signs indicating that a person may be considering suicide, exploring any indications, direct or indirect, of suicidal thoughts. Asking specifically about thoughts of suicide whenever there are grounds for concern is a key skill you will develop.

Informing and facilitating the intervention by seeking understanding of why the person is considering suicide and what links them to life is an essential part of building a collaborative, empathic helping relationship. This relationship acknowledges the pain behind suicidal thoughts and aims to strengthen life connections and safety support.

You will work with individuals to develop and implement safety plans that reduce immediate danger, mobilise access to emergency services when needed, and empower the person at risk to make informed choices about further help. Maintaining rapport to encourage discussion of ongoing concerns and helping the person identify coping strategies to manage recurrence of suicidal thoughts are critical components of this support.

Determining whether underlying mental health concerns or personal circumstances are present and facilitating access to appropriate help is vital. You will explore possible barriers to seeking or accepting help and develop responses to overcome these obstacles.

Understanding what has helped the person survive previous suicide attempts can provide valuable insights into developing a plan that includes agreed first steps to access and use informal supports and professional help. You will also learn to refer individuals to appropriate professionals as required.

Documenting suicide safety plans and follow-up actions according to evidence-informed standards of care and relevant organisation requirements is essential for ensuring continuity and quality of care. Communicating relevant information to colleagues and other professionals working with the person ensures a coordinated approach.

Reflecting on your own role in providing support and using learning to enhance future practice is a continuous process. Identifying and responding to the need for your own supervision and debriefing ensures that you remain effective and resilient in your role.

You will practice these skills by responding to at least three different situations where there is a risk of suicide, applying the knowledge and techniques you have learned throughout the course.

By the end of this course, you will be well-prepared to provide compassionate, informed, and effective support to individuals at risk of suicide, ensuring their safety and promoting their well-being.

This course is designed to align with the content outlined in the Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency CHCCCS003.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

Section A: Knowledge

·       Indicators of potential suicide risk, including risk of any type of self-harm

·       Principles and practices of suicide intervention

·       Referral options and procedures for accessing services

·       Procedures for facilitating emergency interventions

·       Personal values, beliefs and attitudes that facilitate or impede suicide intervention

·       Assumptions about who may be at risk

·       Common notions about suicide

·       Assumptions about what might keep someone safe or unsafe

·       Consideration of how the presence of mental health concerns might influence the helper’s intervention role and inform referral options

·       Principles and practices of self-care and supervision

·       Legal and ethical considerations and how these are applied in an organisation and individual practice

Section B: Performance Tasks

·       Recognise and respond to signs indicating that a person may be considering suicide

·       Explore any indications, direct or indirect, that the person may be considering suicide

·       Ask specifically about thoughts of suicide whenever there are grounds for concern

·       Inform and facilitate the intervention by seeking understanding of why the person is considering suicide and what links them to life

·       Build a collaborative empathic helping relationship that acknowledges how thoughts of suicide and the pain behind them may affect their safety

·       Listen to what lies behind any thoughts of suicide while affirming and strengthening life connections and safety support

·       Work with the person to develop and implement a safety plan that reduces immediate danger to the person and others

·       Mobilise access to emergency services when needed

·       Comply with all laws, relevant ethical guidelines and policy requirements that affect duty of care and seek any advice from workplace supervisor

·       Empower the person at risk to make informed choices about further help

·       Maintain rapport to encourage discussion of on-going concerns

·       Help the person identify coping strategies to manage recurrence of suicidal thoughts

·       Determine whether underlying mental health concerns or personal circumstances are present and facilitate access to appropriate help

·       Explore possible barriers to seeking or accepting help and develop responses

·       Explore what has helped the person survive any previous suicide attempts

·       Develop a plan with the individual that includes agreed first steps to access and use informal supports and professional help

·       Refer to appropriate professionals as required

·       Document suicide safety plan and follow up action according to evidence informed standards of care and relevant organisation requirements

·       Communicate relevant information to work colleagues and other people working with the person

·       Reflect on own role in providing support and use learning to enhance future practice

·       Identify and respond to the need for own supervision and debriefing

·       Respond to at least 3 different situations where there is risk of suicide

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.