This 3-hour workshop is designed to offer healthcare workers a perspective on helping substance-using youth with suicidal ideation or behaviors. The first part of the workshop will focus on information regarding risks of treating suicidal youth who are also using illicit substances, how to assess for this risk, and how to set boundaries with the youth and parent while creating safety plans. Discussion will be held around determining the appropriate level of care based on substance use and suicide risk. Case studies will be presented to deepen participants’ understanding and application of approaches for working with the youth and their parents. Participants will be given the opportunity to ask questions related to challenges they have had working with suicidal teens and to engage in an open dialogue on strategies for overcoming barriers that often arise while treating this population.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will learn suicide prevention concepts related to suicide risk in substance-using youth
2. Attendees will learn to recognize and assess suicide risk in youth
3. Attendees will learn strategies for crisis intervention, including creating safety plans and handling barriers to treatment with suicidal youth
4. Attendees will gain ideas for working with the youth, and their parents/family to reduce suicide risk in the context of substance use treatment

This suicide prevention course is geared to meet the qualifications for license renewal for substance use professionals and mental health clinicians. This interactive workshop provides an opportunity for engagement with a broader professional community, critical thinking, and application of suicide prevention strategies with substance-using youth.

Presenter Biographical Sketch:

Amber Willis, PhD, LMFT is the Clinical Director at Feller Behavioral Health. She has over 18 years of clinical experience working with youth, many of whom have experienced chronic or acute suicide risk and self-harming behaviors. Dr. Willis has worked with substance-using teens in a Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient setting as the former Clinical Director of James Mason Centers for Recovery. She has presented in multiple clinical conferences both at a local and national level, and is author to peer-reviewed articles in academic journals for creative therapeutic interventions with youth. She emphasizes creativity and a strengths-based approach.