The Wisconsin Association of Family & Children's Agencies (WAFCA) is offering this half-day training in partnership with the Great Lakes MHTTC. 

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; self-cutting or self-burning) occurs in up to 20% of adolescents and represents a risk factor for suicidal behavior. However, many who engage in NSSI are not suicidal. Suicide attempts and deaths continue to rise within adolescents across the United States and represent the second leading cause of death in this age group.

The high rates of NSSI and suicidal thoughts/behaviors require that professionals who work with adolescents are knowledgeable about these behaviors and are equipped to provide best-practice care to help reduce and manage risk.  This workshop will provide the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to provide good care to youth struggling with NSSI and/or suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

This workshop will engage participants in learning about best practices for intervening with and monitoring NSSI and suicide risk in youth. Participants will leave the workshop with practical tools they can use in their work with youth the next day. Following the session, participants will be able to:

Learning Objectives

Following the session, participants will be able to:

     1. Describe the difference and relationship between NSSI and suicidal behaviors
     2. Identify specific features of NSSI related to increased suicide risk
     3. Use a risk-formulation framework to guide decisions about suicide risk & care of youth with NSSI
     4. Apply evidence-based techniques to improve the quality of assessment data obtained
     5. Describe and use specific treatment strategies to reduce NSSI and risk for suicide in youth

Presenter:

Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp, Ph.D. 
Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire