Where You Work: Primary Care

Black Suicidology Summit Webinar

Black Suicidology Summit Webinar On-Demand Webinar

The Interfaith America Black Leadership Fellows introduces the Black Suicidology Summit webinar. We examine the socio-historical context of systemic disparities, provide intersectional discourse on current risk/preventative factors, and visualize the possibilities of future evidence-based practices. This virtual, fireside chat, is a space created for healing, awareness, and community innovation.

Tanisha Esperanza, M.A.

About Tanisha Esperanza, M.A.

Tanisha Esperanza, M.A. is a neurodivergent consultant and suicidologist. She is a 1st generation Afro-Latinx American, queer, and an autistic adult. She obtained her B.A. in anthropology & sociology from Spelman College. In 2019, she graduated with her M.A. in psychology from the Catholic University of America. Her work focuses on providing neuro-affirming support to LGBTQ+/BIPOC adults. Integrating an intersectional and womanist approach in holistically treating trauma. She examines the social-historical impact of systemic trauma on the daily functionings of marginalized individuals and communities. Tanisha is a proud companion of a cavapoo, Ms. Ella Fitzgerald.

Janel Cubbage

About Janel Cubbage

Janel Cubbage currently serves as the Strategic Partnerships and Equity Program Manager at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. Janel began her career providing case management and care coordination to adjudicated youth where she encountered firsthand the deleterious effects of gun violence. It was then that Janel made a commitment to prevent gun violence and care for those who have been affected. Janel transitioned to a career as a suicidologist where she gained experience managing prevention programs for the military, and serving as the Director of Suicide Prevention at Maryland’s Behavioral Health Administration and chairing Maryland’s Governor’s Commission on Suicide Prevention. Janel also works as a licensed trauma therapist, specializing in providing therapy for minoritized communities. She is passionate about healing racial trauma and actively working for racial and social justice. Janel is a recent Fellow of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and earned her MPH at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 2022. Janel also holds a masters of science in clinical mental health counseling from McDaniel College.

Tianna Dowie-Chin, PhD

About Tianna Dowie-Chin, PhD

Dr. Tianna Dowie-Chin is currently an Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at the University of Georgia. Tianna was born and raised in Toronto, ON, Canada by Jamaican born parents. She earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction specializing in Teachers, Schools and Society (TSS) from the University of Florida. Her dissertation titled “My Child’s First Teacher: Utilizing Black Mothers’ Counter-Narratives to Reimagine Black Schooling” recently won an Outstanding Dissertation Award from American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender Special Interest Group (SIG). Additionally, her research has been recognized with the University of Florida’s Association for Academic Women (AAW) Madelyn Lockhart Dissertation Fellowship and a National Council of Social Studies (NCSS) Exemplary Research Award. Her research broadly examines race in education with a particular focus on Black feminist thought and education, fostering critical race approaches to teacher education, and challenging global anti-Black racism in education through race theory. She currently serves on the executive committee for NCSS’s College & University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) Scholars of Color Forum and AERA’s Social Studies SIG. One of her professional goals is to support and inspire educators to honor and make space for Black voices and experiences in order to challenge the ways Blackness has been essentialized.

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Empirical, Clinical, and Conceptual Evidence Converges to Indicate Good Support for the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

Empirical, Clinical, and Conceptual Evidence Converges to Indicate Good Support for the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide On-Demand Webinar

In this webinar, Thomas Joiner, Ph.D. discusses the topic of Empirical, Clinical, and Conceptual Evidence Converges to Indicate Good Support for the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide.

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Essential DBT Skills for Individuals Who are Suicidal and the People that Care for Them

Essential DBT Skills for Individuals Who are Suicidal and the People that Care for Them On-Demand Webinar

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive psychological treatment that was originally developed for borderline personality disorder but has been expanded to a variety of problems, many of which have been experienced by people during the historical events of the past few years. Dozens of randomized trials of DBT have been conducted including studies evaluating the efficacy of only the skills portion of the treatment. Results support the use of DBT skills to increase emotion regulation capabilities and decrease negative mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety. In this presentation, Dr. Rizvi reviews the DBT skills modules, the proposed mechanisms of change within DBT, and will highlight specific skills that may be especially useful to the majority of clients who experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In addition, skills that therapists and family members can use themselves to manage stress and burnout will be reviewed.

Shireen L. Rizvi, PhD, ABPP

About Shireen L. Rizvi, PhD, ABPP

Shireen L. Rizvi, PhD, ABPP is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University, where she also holds affiliate appointments in the psychology department, School of Public Health, and the Department of Psychiatry. Her research interests include improving outcomes, training, and dissemination of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for the treatment of complex and severe populations. Dr. Rizvi has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Rutgers University, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) for her research. Her work has resulted in dozens of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, as well as a sole-authored book entitled Chain Analysis in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and a co-edited volume, DBT in Clinical Practice (2nd edition). Dr. Rizvi is board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology and in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Dr. Rizvi has trained hundreds of students and practitioners from around the world in DBT. She has received the Spotlight on a Mentor Award from the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (2017), the International Society for the Improvement and Teaching of DBT (ISITDBT) Perry Hoffman Service Award (2020), and Professor of the Year for Excellence in Teaching, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (2022).

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Tips for parents of teens struggling with mental health issues

Many well-meaning parents panic when their child is struggling with mental health issues, which may lead to saying the wrong thing, or not offering the kind of help their teen needs. This article offers effective ways for parents to empower their teens, ask the right questions and determine the level of support the teen may need.

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CAMS-4Teens®: The Complexities of Working with Parents

CAMS-4Teens: The Complexities of Working with Parents On-Demand Webinar

In this hour-long webinar, “CAMS-4Teens: The Complexities of Working with Parents”, there are now three NIMH-funded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using CAMS with young adults (college students) and adolescents who are suicidal. While CAMS has been used clinically for many years with these populations, RCTs on “CAMS-4Teens” are helping us discern the best possible ways for adapting the intervention and working with this population. Within our clinical trial research we are seeing various challenges–and the promise–of working with teens and their parents using a patient-focused intervention for suicide risk. Based on the early findings, CAMS-4Teens appears to be quite promising and developing ways to help parents to support their child’s suicide-focused treatment is evolving and compelling. This presentation provides an overview of the CAMS-4Teens approach along with an update on the current clinical trial research and emerging recommendations for effective clinical practice with adolescents who are suicidal.

Hosted by Dr. Kevin Crowley, clinical psychologist, private practitioner and CAMS Consultant.

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What Future? How People Who Are Suicidal Look Beyond the Present Moment

What future? How People Who Are Suicidal Look Beyond The Present Moment On-Demand Webinar

The consideration of suicide involves the contemplation of not only death, but also of life and what it can offer. This presentation explores cognitive underpinnings of life-oriented thoughts, with a particular focus on how people who are suicidal envision their future. Dr. Cha will introduce various ways to assess future thinking among individuals who are suicidal, and present an emerging profile of future thinking abilities that are characteristic of this population.

Christine Cha, PhD

About Christine Cha, PhD

Dr. Christine Cha is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Director of the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Studies. Her research focuses on thought patterns that may contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and pertain to concepts proximal to suicide (e.g., death) as well as alternatives to suicide (e.g., future). Dr. Cha’s work has been funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, and General Hospital Psychiatry, and has received the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science.

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Today I feel silly: And other moods that make my day

Today I feel silly: And other moods that make my day, by Jamie Lee Curtis. This book normalizes the day-to-day moment-to-moment fluctuations in mood, including low mood. It is very appropriate for young children and is a common feature of many Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs.

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How can technology improve how we predict and prevent suicidal thoughts and behavior?

How can technology improve how we predict and prevent suicidal thoughts and behavior? On-Demand Webinar

Technology like smartphones and smartwatches have become nearly ubiquitous over the past few years. This has led to a surge of interest into using this technology to better understand suicide risk as it occurs in everyday life as well as improve the delivery of interventions for suicide risk. In this webinar, Dr. Evan Kleiman will first focus on the progress we have made in using technology to predict and prevent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Next, he will talk about the opportunities and challenges of using technology with suicidal individuals in clinical practice. Dr. Kleiman will end by giving a balanced view of what may and may not be possible in the future when using technology to study suicide.

Dr. Evan Kleiman, PhD

About Dr. Evan Kleiman, PhD

Evan Kleiman is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy in the School of Public Health. Dr. Kleiman’s work focuses on understanding the everyday occurrence of factors of interest to clinical psychological scientists. He has a specific focus on the everyday lives of individuals at risk for suicide using smartphone and wearable monitoring technology. His work has been published in over 125 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is currently funded by several NIMH grants.

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Suicide Status Form Intake: Integrating a Culturally Informed Interview Process

What is the Suicide Status Form?

The Suicide Status Form (SSF) is part of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) completed in conjunction with the client’s sessions. This form helps assess the client, acquire suicidal behavior history, and create an individualized treatment plan. The Suicide Status Form is 1) a tool to integrate the client as an active participant in the therapeutic process and 2) a guide to creating a comprehensive suicide prevention model for the client-clinician.

The initial intake session provides the foundation, developing trust and engagement. For minority clients, the intake can be an intimidating process due to increased exposure to systemic disparities, mental health biases, and marginalization.1 The effectiveness of the SSF is found within its collaborative approach.2 Efficacious and valid treatment for marginalized clients centers client-focused and culturally informed treatment.3 This article is a comprehensive guide to formulating culturally informed questions and feedback during the interview process.

Section A of the Suicide Status Form: Psychological Assessment

Section A of the Suicide Status Form is an assessment of the client’s current suicidal behavior. This section is the baseline of the clinician-client relationship and guides the outcome of the intake. In this section, the client is directly involved in the response of the assessment, while the clinician guides the client. The collaborative approach establishes client autonomy, intimacy, and vulnerability between the clinician-client. Provided below are suggestions for culturally informed questions and feedback for Section A of the SSF:

  • Rate Psychological Pain

    In my experience working with minority clients, the question of “psychological pain” can be difficult to answer. This is potentially due to the stigma of openly talking about suicidal behavior.4 It helps to reframe the discussion as one about physical pain, which then directs the conversation toward disclosing suicidal thoughts.

    “When you begin feeling like hurting yourself, can you share with me where on your body you feel that pain most?”

  • Rate Stress

    Stress can result from both internal and external factors. It can also result from structural factors such as systemic and institutionalized disparities.5 Establishing an interview process which acknowledges the multiple factors of stress on the client’s mental health supports an effective, individualized treatment plan.

    “I acknowledge that there are external stressors and situations that might impact your suicidal behavior. I would like you to know as we proceed with treatment that this is a safe space for you to share those stressors with me, without judgement”.

  • Rate Self-Hate

    See above. As the client measures self-hate, it is suggested to frame the conversation by acknowledging both internal and external factors.

  • Thoughts and Feelings about Suicidal Behavior

    It is important to consider that clients from underserved populations may have a history of experiencing stigmatization and other disparities during previous encounters with mental health providers.6 This may present itself in the form of distrust, lack of engagement, and discomfort with the therapeutic process. In reducing these responses, the provider can discuss the procedures of disclosure and confidentiality to re-affirm trust with the client.

    “We are beginning to discuss more about your suicidal thoughts. This means we are going to talk about what makes you feel suicidal. Before we go any further, do you have any questions about the process?”

  • Reasons to Live; Reasons to Die

    For some cultures, openly discussing suicidal thoughts is taboo. The reasons for these taboos range from beliefs of “keeping things in the family” to limitations with psychoeducation. This section is an intentional approach in comprehending the cultural, social, and individual factors that impact the client’s suicidality. For some clients, this is expressed in community and family being a protective and/or risk factor for suicidal behavior. The family/community might be a support system, but also can represent stressors to the client. Discussing these dynamics with the client will be helpful in future sections of the SSF.

    “Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. I can understand this process has been very difficult, and I thank you for being open to the process. We are going to move at your pace, so if you need a moment, we can take a break. I am here to support you, and sharing how you feel is valid.”

Section B: History of Suicidal Behavior

This section of the Suicide Status Form is where the clinician and client discuss the client’s history of suicidal behavior. This section also details the history of physical and mental health, as well as interpersonal and socio-economic factors that may influence a client’s suicidality. The responses to this section will influence the treatment plan in Section C. Provided below are suggestions for culturally informed questions and feedback for Section B of the SSF:

  • Reliving and discussing these factors might be traumatic to the client. Continuing to re-affirm and validate the client’s openness is beneficial.
  • Burden to Others. Help-seeking behavior is reduced in racial minorities due to a multitude of factors, such as sense of burden on their family/community, fear of the mental health system, and experiences with discrimination.7
  • History of Legal/Financial Issues. When discussing a client’s socioeconomic status, consider that financial stressors may impact a client’s ability to receive mental health support or contribute as a risk factor. Discussing the financial stressors of therapy is important in reducing overall stressors.

Section C: Treatment and Stabilization Plan

Following the responses from Section A and B, Section C of the Suicide Status Form is where the client and clinician work on establishing an individualized treatment plan. CAMS effectively integrates the client into the therapeutic process with its collaborative approach, which aids in establishing the treatment plan. Provided below are suggestions for culturally informed questions and feedback for Section C of the SSF:

  • Confusing Terminology

    In my experience, I have found that terminology can be confusing to clients. At this stage, the clinician needs to thoroughly explain the treatment plan and ask clients if they have any questions.

    “I understand we have been sharing a lot today and that can be overwhelming. We have discussed your thoughts of suicide and your history. Now, I want to share your treatment plan for the remainder of your time with me. I can explain, and if you have any questions, we can discuss them. How do you feel about this plan?”

  • CAMS Stabilization Plan

    As we have established in Section A, family/culture are very important aspects of an individual’s treatment, especially for racial/ethnic minorities.8

    This means for some individuals the support system can be represented by external community services (i.e., therapist, social worker, support group, etc.). For others, the support system might include a complex network of friends, family, and religious/spiritual leaders.

  • Potential Barriers to Treatment

    In section A, we discussed the potential barriers to accessible treatment. I suggest extending the conversation by asking about potential social and structural stressors that may hinder the client’s accessibility to your services. This might include lack of steady transportation, disability restrictions, unsafe family environments, lack of housing, financial instability, and a plethora of other societal factors. Having an early discussion to talk about minimizing those barriers will increase client retention and build trust.

Section D: Clinician Evaluation

In the final intake section of the Suicide Status Form, the clinician provides post-sessions evaluations of the client’s behavior and mental status. Provided below are suggestions for culturally informed questions and feedback for Section D of the SSF:

  • While evaluating a client’s behavior and mental status, the clinician should reflect on their evaluation. Understand that biases and assumptions are a human reality. Our positionality influences our thoughts, ideologies, and assumptions. Check in to see if you are interpreting a certain body language, tone, or response with an open mind. For example, what might be perceived as aggression or hostility to a clinician might be a cultural expression of sadness or pain. Being informed on cultural expressions reduces mental health disparities and implicit biases.

Conclusion: Becoming a Culturally Informed Clinician

To be a culturally informed clinician means that the mental health provider acknowledges and integrates their client’s cultural identity into the treatment. It is not about being a professional anthropologist but being open to exploring and discussing the impact of social identity. This is important in establishing an effective treatment plan. The Suicide Status Form builds a collective understanding of a client’s suicidal thoughts, history, and individualized treatment. The recommendations in this article are a comprehensive guide in forming a culturally informed intake process.

  1. https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/brochures/treatment-minority.pdf
  2. https://cams-care.com/resources/educational-content/vermonts-zero-suicide-initiative/
  3. Foundations of Multicultural Psychology: Research to Inform Effective Practice, by T. B. Smith and J. E. Trimble Copyright © 2016 by the American Psychological Association
  4. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/media/2020/responding-to-the-alarm-addressing-black-youth-suicide
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6532404/
  6. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.5243/jsswr.2010.10
  7. Addressing Mental Health in the Black Community | Columbia University Department of Psychiatry (columbiapsychiatry.org)

About the Author

Tanisha Esperanza Jarvis M.A.

Tanisha Esperanza Jarvis M.A.
Tanisha Esperanza Jarvis received her B.A. in anthropology and sociology at Spelman College in 2015, where she also minored in Comparative Women’s Studies. While at Spelman, her research focused on integrating academia and social justice. As a Bonner Scholar and Social Justice Fellow her research work included preventative and interventional treatment of sexual trauma and LGBTQ and racial/ethnic minority research. She finished her M.A. in psychological sciences from The Catholic University of America (CUA) in 2019. Her research within the Suicide Prevention Lab (SPL) focused on integrating an international approach to CAMS research and treatment of suicidality within marginalized communities.

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About Tanisha Esperanza Jarvis M.A.

Tanisha Esperanza Jarvis M.A.
Tanisha Esperanza Jarvis received her B.A. in anthropology and sociology at Spelman College in 2015, where she also minored in Comparative Women’s Studies. While at Spelman, her research focused on integrating academia and social justice. As a Bonner Scholar and Social Justice Fellow her research work included preventative and interventional treatment of sexual trauma and LGBTQ and racial/ethnic minority research. She finished her M.A. in psychological sciences from The Catholic University of America (CUA) in 2019. Her research within the Suicide Prevention Lab (SPL) focused on integrating an international approach to CAMS research and treatment of suicidality within marginalized communities.

New Perspectives on Suicide Risk Among Military Personnel and Veterans

New Perspectives on Suicide Risk Among Military Personnel and Veterans On-Demand Webinar

Suicide rates among U.S. military personnel and military veterans remain elevated despite considerable investment in a wide range of suicide prevention strategies, befuddling researchers, clinicians, and military leaders. This presentation critiques traditional assumptions about the processes by which suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors are interrelated, and reviews new empirical findings that cast a different perspective on the nature of suicidal ideation. Implications for clinical practice and suicide prevention among military personnel and veterans are discussed.

About Dr. Craig J. Bryan

Dr. Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP

Dr. Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP, is a board-certified clinical psychologist in cognitive behavioral psychology. He is the Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and is the Division Director for Recovery and Resilience. Dr. Bryan received his PsyD in clinical psychology in 2006 from Baylor University and completed his clinical psychology residency at the Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, TX. Dr. Bryan deployed to Balad, Iraq, in 2009, where he served as the Director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic at the Air Force Theater Hospital. He separated from active duty service shortly after his deployment, and started researching PTSD, suicidal behaviors and suicide prevention strategies, and psychological health and resiliency. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, the University of Utah, and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and has managed numerous federally-funded projects in excess of $30 million focused on testing treatments for reducing suicidal behaviors, developing innovative methods to identify and detect high-risk individuals, and facilitating recovery after trauma. Dr. Bryan has published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles. His research has been funded by a wide range of agencies including the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the Boeing Company, and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, and has been featured in media outlets including Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, NPR, USA Today, the LA Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Dr. Bryan has published over 200 scientific articles and multiple books including Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention and Rethinking Suicide.

Dr. Bryan has served as the lead risk management consultant for the $25 million STRONG STAR Research Consortium and the $45 million Consortium to Alleviate PTSD, which investigates treatments for combat-related PTSD among military personnel. Dr. Bryan has served on the Board of Directors of the American Association for Suicidology, the Scientific Advisory Board for the Navy SEAL Foundation, and the Educational Advisory Board of the National Center for PTSD. He has served as a consultant to the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Avera Health, and Aurora Health Care. For his contributions to mental health and suicide prevention, Dr. Bryan has received numerous awards and recognitions including the Arthur W. Melton Award for Early Career Achievement, the Peter J.N. Linnerooth National Service Award, and the Charles S. Gersoni Military Psychology Award from the American Psychological Association; and the Edwin S Shneidman Award for outstanding contributions to research in suicide from the American Association of Suicidology. He is an internationally recognized expert on suicide prevention, trauma, and resilience.

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