Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR)

Time: 9:00am-4:00pm

Location: Virtual/Online

Instructor: Kara Walker and Leidy McIntosh, VA Puget Sound

CE credits: 6 CEUs, pending

Course Description

Despite increased funding and awareness, veteran suicide rate is still steady. Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) provides clinicians with the skills and confidence to meet required suicide standards and competencies. This training is designed for outpatient providers to assess and manage suicide risk to aid patient recovery. Clinicians will learn through group discussion, case examples, and videos, and should expect to participate in this class with a collaborative, non-adversarial, and non-judgmental stance.

This course meets the Washington State requirements (RCW 43.70.442) for psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, and family therapists.

Learning Objectives

Following completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify and apply suicide prevention core competencies, including: maintaining an effective attitude and approach, collecting accurate assessment information, formulating risk, developing a treatment and services plan, and managing care.
2. Demonstrate increased willingness, confidence, and clarity in working with individuals at risk for suicide.
3. Describe specific methods to better care for individuals at risk for suicide.

References

Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Suicide Prevention. 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report: Part Two. Accessed March 12, 2026; Available from: https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2025/2025_Annual_Report_Part_2_508.pdf

American Association of Suicidology. (2019, July 29). Facts and Statistics. Retrieved December 12, 2019, from https://suicidology.org/facts-and-statistics/

Stanley, B., Brown, G. K., Brenner, L. A., Galfalvy, H. C., Currier, G. W., Knox, K. L., … Green, K. L. (2018). Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention With Follow-up vs Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(9), 894. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1776

Green, J. D., Kearns, J. C., Rosen, R. C., Keane, T. M., & Marx, B. P. (2018). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Safety Plans for Military Veterans: Do Safety Plans Tailored to Veteran Characteristics Decrease Suicide Risk? Behavior Therapy, 49(6), 931–938. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2017.11.005

Pruitt, L.D., Smolenski, D.J., Bush, N.E., Tucker, J., Issa, F., Hoyt, T.V., Reger, M.A. (2018). Suicide in the military: Understanding rates and risk factors across the United States' Armed Forces. Military Medicine, 0(0), 1-6. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usy296.