NEW DATES FOR THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE FINALISED SOON

This workshop is primarily focused on social workers in South Africa, but also suitable for registered counsellors and other mental health practitioners. The purpose of the workshop is to equip practitioners with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to respond effectively to suicide ideation in their clients.

The workshop is facilitated fully online via Zoom over the course of 12 hours, which usually consists of four 3-hour sessions facilitated twice weekly over the course of 2 weeks. This is to allow for integration of theory and practice, since the workshop also encourages participants to implement the skills learned.

Participants are also required to do preparation work for each session by completing required reading of selected content, and to note down their reflections after each session. This reflective journal must be submitted at the end of the workshop and is a requirement to qualify for CPD points. This workshop is currently approved by SACSSP for 13 CPD points for social workers.

The content of the workshop includes the following:

• Introduction and overview of suicide
• Risk factors and warning signs of suicide
• The CASE approach to structure interview sessions to collect critical information
• Principles of the CAMS approach – establishing a collaborative partnership with the client
• Overview of validity interview techniques
• Drawing up a safety plan
• Brief description/discussion of parasuicide
• Basic principles of crisis intervention
• The risk assessment, including risk rating
• Brief discussions of sample role-play interviews regarding interview skills

Suicide is a sensitive topic and the workshop may contain triggering content for some participants. It is strongly recommended that practitioners who experience mental health difficulties themselves, particularly depression and thoughts of suicide, NOT attend the workshop during or recently after (within 6 months) experiencing depressive periods or thoughts of suicide. While the facilitator aims to create a safe and supportive workshop experience, it is not possible for the facilitator to attend to the personal well-being of participants. Each participant must take responsibility for their own well-being. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to contact the facilitator at werner@changeworks.co.za.

The workshop is facilitated fully online via Zoom. Participants are required to remain on camera for the full duration of each session and should ensure that their equipment and internet connection is suitable for this kind of interaction. Attendance with a phone or tablet is not recommended – it is recommended to use a PC or laptop since some of the screens that will be shared may include text or diagrams that would be too small read on a cellphone screen. Due to the fact that this is a sensitive topic and to create a safe, confidential, inclusive space for all participants, each participant should attend from a suitable physical space (for example, not while travelling or while sharing office space with others). The use of headphones is recommended – alternatively participants should be in a space not shared with others.