How we meet clients in moments of crisis can have a profound impact on the accuracy of the information we’re able to gather, as well as on our ability to maintain a therapeutic alliance with clients that feels supportive and helps them stay safe. But for many of us, these moments can feel stressful or even scary.

This course is designed for social workers in outpatient settings. It will introduce learners to the fundamentals of screening clients for suicide risk, as well as describe the elements of a thorough suicide risk assessment. The materials presented in this course can be used for all populations, but there will be special considerations for youth.

Simulated therapy session: This course includes a complete simulated therapy session with the instructor, Kimberly O’Brien, Jasmine (a teenage girl experiencing suicidal thoughts), and Jasmine’s father, Michael (clients played by actors). *Part 2 of this session is included in a subsequent course “Safety Planning with Adolescents & Families.”

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome to the Course!

    2. Our Plan

    1. Overview

    2. It's Okay To Feel Scared

    3. Introduction to Suicidal Ideation & Screening

    4. Overview: Screening for Suicide Risk

    5. Is It Okay To Ask About Suicide?

    6. Who Should Get Screened?

    7. How To Talk to Clients About Doing a Risk Screening

    8. Risk Screening

    9. How to Make the Risk Screener Conversational

    10. Next Steps in Risk Screening

    1. Overview

    2. Suicide Risk Assessment Introduction

    3. Working with Kids & Teens

    4. Introducing the Simulation: Jasmine & Michael

    5. Simulated Session: Jasmine Shares Why She Asked to Meet

    6. Jasmine's Next Steps

    7. Risk Assessment: Risk Factors

    8. Risk Assessment: Protective Factors

    9. Risk Assessment: Suicide Inquiry

    10. Risk Assessment: Determining Level of Risk

    11. Simulated Session: Jasmine's Risk Assessment Part 1

    12. Simulated Session: Jasmine's Risk Assessment Part 2

    13. Simulated Session: Michael Joins the Risk Assessment

    14. Simulated Session: Jasmine & Michael Complete the Risk Assessment

    15. Simulated Session Debrief

    1. Overview

    2. What to Include in Your Documentation

    3. Jasmine's Progress Note

    1. Overview: Review

    2. Review

    3. Bibliography

    4. Copy of Nice Work!

    1. Overview: Posttest

    2. Posttest

    3. Course Evaluation Overview

    4. Course Evaluation: Suicide Risk Screening & Assessment (created 3/09/26)

    5. Congratulations!

About this course

  • $29.00
  • 2.5 CE (Clinical)
  • Online, self-paced, noninteractive course

Meet the Instructor

Kimberly O’Brien

Kimberly O’Brien, PhD, LICSW is the founder and director of Unlimited Resilience, LLC and co-founder and director of Athletes Better Together. She is also a research and training consultant at the Behavioral Research & Training Institute at Rutgers University. She obtained her MSW (’05) and PhD (’11) from Boston College and completed her postdoctoral fellowship (’13) at Brown University. Her research is focused on intervention development for suicidal adolescents and their families, with additional specializations in substance use, interventions which utilize technology, and athlete mental health and suicide prevention. Dr. O’Brien has co-authored over 75 articles and book chapters related to adolescent suicide, substance use, and mental health, and was awarded the Young Investigator Research Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in 2019. She is also co-author of the book Mentality Wins: The Athlete’s Playbook for Thriving in Sport and Life, as well as the book Emotionally Naked: A Teacher’s Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk.

Course Details

Credits: This course offers 2.5 CE (Clinical)

Cost: $29

Format: This is an online, self-paced, noninteractive course that includes reading and recorded videos (asynchronous hybrid course).

Registration: To register for this course, click the “Buy Now” button. This course is self-paced, so you can join at any time after completing your registration and payment.

Practice Level: Beginner

Target Audience: Clinical social workers interested in developing foundational knowledge related to suicide screening and assessment.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training, you will learn to:

  • Describe the difference between screening for suicide risk and conducting a suicide risk assessment.

  • Summarize the key components of a suicide risk assessment and describe how each component informs the assessment of risk.

  • Distinguish between different levels of risk and describe corresponding interventions that may be appropriate based on the assessment information (including when an evaluation at an emergency department or with a mobile crisis team is warranted).

  • Learners can identify key aspects of documentation related to suicide risk assessments.

Additional Information

Refund & Cancellation Policy: GetPractice will fully refund requests from learners who have not completed a course. If a learner has completed all requirements of a course and received their certificate of completion, they are no longer eligible for a refund. 

Accessibility: Please email [email protected] to discuss any questions or requests regarding accessibility & accommodations. 

System Requirements: This course is hosted on the GetPractice site. To complete the course and all required course materials, learners will login to the GetPractice course site. Learners will need a computer or smartphone and an internet connection to complete the course.

Course Completion Requirements: To complete the course and receive their certificate of credit, learners will complete all online lessons in the course, a posttest (a passing score of 80% is required, learners can retake the test if needed), and a course evaluation. Once these components are successfully completed, the learner’s certificate of credit will be available immediately on the course page and in their learner account.

Availability Notice: This course is currently available to customers located in the United States.

Questions or Concerns: Please reach out to [email protected] 

Course Creation Date: 3/09/2026

GetPractice LLC, provider #2517, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period:11/14/25-11/14/26. Social workers completing this course receive [# and TYPE]  continuing education credits.