Counseling on Access to Lethal Means as a Suicide Prevention Strategy for High-Risk Youth: Description of a Web-Based Training Program for Clinicians

Introduction. Reducing access to lethal means was recommended as a promising strategy for suicide prevention by an international panel of experts (Mann et al., 2005, JAMA). The most important lethal means of suicide in the United States are firearms and medications. Unfortunately, clinicians – including physicians and mental health care providers – have limited training in counseling clients and their families about reducing access to these lethal means.

Methods. To address this important training need, we have developed a distance-learning workshop tailored to clinicians. Entitled CALM, for Counseling on Access to Lethal Means, the Workshop will introduce an innovative approach for suicide prevention among high-risk youth: counseling their family members on reducing their access to lethal means of suicide, including firearms and certain medications. The CALM Workshop will describe the rationale and evidence-base for means reduction counseling, and will also provide instruction on how to carry it out via self-paced PowerPoint presentations, reading assignments, and quizzes. Additionally, it includes a 17 minute film that depicts a lethal means counseling session.

Results. In our APHA Film and Technology Theatre presentation we will conduct an interactive demonstration of the distance-learning workshop, including showing the video and different training modules, in part or in full, as time permits.

Conclusion. Distance-learning education is an important strategy for responding to training needs of clinicians in the area of suicide prevention.