CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. The Nature and Scope of Suicide
2. Recognizing the Progressive Development of Suicide
3. Substance Abuse as a Major Contributor to Suicide
4. Suicide Across the Life Span
5. Special Populations and Suicide Risk
6. Prevention and Early Intervention for Suicide and Substance Abuse Problems

Supplements
References
Resources

Holding the Lifeline
A Guide to Suicide Prevention

Who Can Use This Course

"Holding the Lifeline: A Guide to Suicide Prevention" is a course designed for professionals in the prevention, addictions, mental health, and related fields. The nature of the topic of suicide prevention also makes this course relevant to community members, including the gatekeepers identified in this course (healthcare workers, school personnel, protective service workers, law enforcement, members of faith communities, program planners, volunteers, juvenile justice personnel) and any community members who have been touched by suicide.

What is Covered in This Course

This online course provides an overview of suicide prevention issues, goals, and techniques, based on The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. There are six modules, which explore the nature of suicide prevention. The course emphasizes the importance of substance abuse as a major contributing factor in suicide risks. The course views suicidal behaviors along a continuum of severity. It takes a developmental approach, covering the lifespan from childhood to older adulthood to explain suicide risks and prevention opportunities. The course also focuses on some of the major populations that exist in communities that are at risk for suicide. The course modules use examples from the field or from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices and other proven effective programs that emphasize suicide prevention.

Quizzes at the end of the course modules allow participants to gauge learning against course objectives. The Resources section at the end of the course includes links to Web sites that provide additional information on the topic. Listing of these resources is provided solely as a service. These listings do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) or any of its agencies or employees. The authors of this course and DHHS are not responsible for the content of any Web pages referenced in this course, other than those in the official government (.gov) domain.

This online course complements other training efforts by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) within DHHS. More information and links to CSAP are provided throughout this course.

CEU Information

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be offered for successful completion of this course from the following organizations:

• The National Association of Social Workers (4 CH)
• The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (4 CECH)
• The National Board for Certified Counselors (7 CH)
• NAADAC: The Association for Addiction Professionals (6 CH)

Acknowledgments

CSAP gratefully acknowledges the expertise of Richard McKeon, Ph.D., M.P.H., Special Expert, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Anara Guard, M.S., Associate Center Director, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and Kerry Knox, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Community and Preventive Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center. All were instrumental in the content development and review of this course.