On Demand Workshop: Questions That Can Save a Life: Widening the Lens: Thinking About Suicide Risk Assessment in the Broader Clinical Context

This presentation was originally reviewed on April 26, 2024, and broadcast live online on April 26, 2024, from 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm ET. 

The views and opinions expressed by this presenter in this lecture are their own, and do not represent the views of Sheppard Pratt.

Suicidal ideation is commonly encountered in general clinical practice. According to statistics from the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), over 12 million people have suicidal ideation in a given year and 1.7 million people in the United States attempt suicide. There is a broad spectrum of suicidal ideation and behavior, and most people who ultimately attempt suicide will make a health care visit in the weeks prior to attempting suicide. Therefore, all clinical health professionals need to understand the basics of performing a suicide risk assessment. Suicide risk assessment involves an appraisal of both a patient's responses on a suicide questionnaire as well as their clinical risk and protective factors. This talk will use the SAMSHA SAFE-T approach to teach participants how to assess risk and protective factors, clarify the extend of suicidal ideation, and then stratify a patient’s suicide risk into low, medium, or high risk. It will then provide suggestions for how to practically manage patients in each of those risk categories, including referring for routine behavioral health services, referring for intensive or crisis behavioral health services, and initiating an emergency petition for an emergency psychiatric evaluation in Maryland.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, counselors and other mental health professionals. 

Learning Objectives

After this lecture, registrants will be able to:

  • Recognize the 5 steps in assessing suicide risk according to SAMSHA (SAFE-T)
  • Integrate risk factors and protective factors into a suicide risk formulation
  • Identify the appropriate action plan for each level of risk
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACEP NBCC clock hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 Category II credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 MNA Contact Hours for Nurses
  • 1.00 Participation
Course opens: 
06/11/2024
Course expires: 
06/09/2026

This lecture was supported by Grant Number 6H79FG000999-01M001 from SAMHSA. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of SAMHSA. 

About the speakers

Elizabeth Ryznar, MD, MSC is the Director of Medical Education at Sheppard Pratt, as well as a board-certified psychiatrist. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Harvard College, she obtained her master’s degree from the University of Oxford and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ryznar completed residency at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University and a postdoctoral research fellowship in medical education at Johns Hopkins. She was then appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins and served as an attending physician there, before moving to Sheppard Pratt. Her clinical focus is consultation-liaison psychiatry. Her research interests include consultation-liaison psychiatry, childhood trauma, psychiatric diagnosis, decision-making capacity, medical education, and curriculum development. Dr. Ryznar is co-editor of “Landmark Papers in Psychiatry,” published by Oxford University Press in 2020, and has several peer-reviewed articles. She has been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a Leadership Fellow (2017-2019), by the American College of Psychiatrists as a Laughlin Fellow (2018) and returning fellow (2019), and by the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry for best review article in Psychosomatics (2021). She is also the recipient of clinical teaching awards at Northwestern and Johns Hopkins.

Rachel Smolowitz, PhD is a clinical-community psychologist serving as the program manager of Sheppard Pratt Collaborative Care at GBMC. Dr. Smolowitz completed her doctoral program at the University of South Carolina and wrote her dissertation on empowerment of adults with serious mental illness. She then worked as a clinical psychologist with adults who have co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. Dr. Smolowitz is focused in her work on developing capacity to improve the lives of people with serious mental illness.

Disclosure Statements

Sheppard Pratt holds the standard that its continuing medical education programs should be free of commercial bias and conflict of interest. In accord with Sheppard Pratt's Disclosure Policy, as well as standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Medical Association (AMA), all planners, reviewers, speakers and persons in control of content have been asked to disclose any relationship he /she has with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. All planners, reviewers and speakers have also been asked to disclose any payments accepted for this lecture from any entity besides Sheppard Pratt, and if there will be discussion of any products, services or off-label uses of product(s) during this presentation.

Elizabeth Ryznar, MD, MSC, & Rachel Smolowitz, PhD, report that they have no relationships with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months. They will not discuss any products, services, or off-label uses in this presentation. All relationships have been mitigated through review.

Event Planners/Reviewers Disclosures: The following event planners and/or reviewers are reported as having no financial interest, arrangement or affiliation with any entity producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients, during the past 24 months: Larry Epp, EdD, Todd Peters, MD, Louis J. Marino, Devi Bhuyan, PsyD, Faith Dickerson, PhD, Carrie Etheridge, LCSW-C, Tom Flis, LCPC, Stacey Garnett, RN, MSN, Stephanie M. Robinson, MSN, RN, PMH-BC, NPD-BC, NE-BC , Heather Billings, RN, Lisa Illum, MLIS, MEd, and Jennifer Tornabene.

Physician Statement: Sheppard Pratt is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.  Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity.  Sheppard Pratt designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurse Statement: Sheppard Pratt is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Maryland Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity. This activity provides 1.0 contact hours for nurses.

Psychologist Statement: Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as a sponsor of continuing education. Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity.  Sheppard Pratt designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hour for Psychologists.

Social Worker Statement: Sheppard Pratt is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners of Maryland to offer continuing education for Social Workers.  Sheppard Pratt takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CE activity. This activity is approved for 1.0 contact hour in Category II credits for Social Workers.

Counselor Statement:  Sheppard Pratt has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5098.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Sheppard Pratt is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.  This activity is available for 1.0 NBCC clock hour.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACEP NBCC clock hours
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.00 Category II credits for Social Workers
  • 1.00 Psychologists
  • 1.00 MNA Contact Hours for Nurses
  • 1.00 Participation
Please login or register to take this course.

ON DEMAND WEBINAR: FOR BEST RESULTS WATCH USING GOOGLE CHROME

Workshop: Questions That Can Save a Life: Widening the Lens: Thinking About Suicide Risk Assessment in the Broader Clinical Context

Elizabeth Ryznar, MD, MSC

Director of Medical Education

Sheppard Pratt

Baltimore, MD

Rachel Smolowitz, PhD

Program Manager, Sheppard Pratt Collaborative Care at GBMC

Sheppard Pratt

Baltimore, MD

Originally reviewed April 26, 2024.
Originally broadcast live April 26, 2024, from 1:15 – 2:15 PM ET.
Enduring Activity Credit Expiration Date: June 9, 2026.

Activity Time: One-hour webinar lecture with a 15-minute evaluation process. Total Time: 1:15.

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Optimal System Configuration

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Operating System: Windows XP+ or Mac OS X 10.4+
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Windows PC: 500-MHz Pentium II; Windows XP or higher; 128 MB RAM; Video Card at least 64MB of video memory; Sound Card at least 16-bit; Macromedia Flash Player 10 or higher, audio playback with speakers for programs with video content; Firefox 1.1+, Internet Explorer 7.0+, Safari 1.0+, Google Chrome, or Opera
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