Suicide Assessment Training

Our suicide assessment training, equipped with the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), provides school staff with essential knowledge and practical skills to identify, assess, and respond to students experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors. This training is crucial for fostering a safe and supportive school environment, emphasizing early intervention and prevention.

Key Components of the Training

  • Participants will learn about the development, purpose, and scientific validation of the C-SSRS as the most evidence-based tool of its kind for suicide risk screening in youth populations.

  • The training emphasizes recognizing behavioral, verbal, and emotional indicators of suicide risk, including subtle warning signs that may often go unnoticed.

  • School personnel will be guided through step-by-step processes to suicide assessments using the C-SSRS, evaluating the severity of suicidal ideation and previous behavior. Attendees are provided with clear triage steps to plan appropriate interventions and responses.

  • The training fosters skills in creating a non-judgmental, empathetic environment to encourage open dialogue, ensuring students feel safe and supported.

  • Participants will learn about confidentiality, mandatory reporting laws, and how to collaborate effectively.

  • Staff will learn how to develop and implement immediate safety plans, including steps to take if a student is identified as being at imminent risk.

  • The training emphasizes ongoing support strategies to ensure comprehensive care for students.

Benefits of the Training

  • Outline of a person with an 'O+' blood type symbol.

    Empowers school staff to respond confidently to mental health crises.

  • Magnifying glass icon on a black background.

    Promotes early detection and intervention, reducing risk and liability.

  • Illustration of a newspaper with a folded corner and a large letter 'J' on the side.

    Enhances the school’s mental health protocols and safety policies.

  • A black heart outline with a gold border.

    Enhances the school’s mental health supports, and promotes a proactive, preventative approach to student wellness.

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  • “Cora was able to build our entire Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention protocols and data collection processes. This was an extremely valuable resource to our organization, as it contributed to our ability to norm across multiple schools and increase our fidelity of practice.”

    - Lauren L., Director of Mental Health, Sacramento

  • “One of the greatest results of Dr. Palma's efforts at our organization is the legacy of systems that WORK that she left behind. From threat assessment protocols to a complete suicide/risk assessment protocol that covers decision-making 24 hours a day (at school, when the student is home, in the after school program, etc.), our administrators, campus staff, mental health staff, and educators are equipped with the tools they need to consistently provide high-level, caring services to students in moments of crisis. We will be forever grateful to Dr. Palma for the thorough systems approach she took to creating crisis protocols that are effective and student-centered.”

    - Ashley W., Mental Health Provider, Stockton

  • “Prior to robust systems being put in place by Dr. Cora Palma, each school across our organization was doing something different when it came to suicide risk assessment. Our previous processes were often based on the limited training clinicians received in graduate school and were not always rooted in the latest evidence-based practices. Through Dr. Palma's comprehensive systems lens, our program's suicide and risk prevention protocols became clear, streamlined, and consistent across the organization. Each step of the protocol Dr. Palma developed centered students, and protocols were based on the latest best practice standards for mental health services. As a clinician, it was a relief to have the training and protocols in place especially in crisis moments were every step matters.”

    - Ashley W., Mental Health Provider, Stockton

  • “Dr. Palma has exceptional expertise in suicide prevention and assessment, and her trainings are both comprehensive and highly practical. As a school-based mental health practitioner, I left feeling significantly more confident in my ability to identify signs of distress in children and adults and to respond appropriately at each level of need. Her training helped me strengthen my skills, deepen my understanding, and enhance my preparedness as a professional responder in school settings.”

    -Daniel V, Mental Health Provider, Los Angeles

A computer with a hand and a pencil, representing digital editing or creation.

Who Should Attend:

This training is ideal for school counselors, administrators, school nurses, social workers, and other school personnel who interact with students daily.

It is also suitable for districts seeking to strengthen their mental health crisis response frameworks.

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