Cultural Competency as Suicide Prevention for Autistic Adults: Clinical Solutions to Help Clients Feel Heard, Visible, and Validated

CPD

Faculty

Lisa Morgan, MEd, CAS Related seminars and products

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Lisa Morgan, MEd, CAS, is a consultant specializing in crisis support and suicide prevention for autistic people. Lisa is founder and co-chair of the Autism and Suicide committee at the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and has developed several autism specific resources for communicating and supporting autistic people in crisis. A self-advocate with a passion for strengths-based solutions, Lisa has authored several books, articles, and resources all available on her website, www.autismcrisissupport.com. She is a community council member of AASET (Autistic Adults and other Stakeholders Engaged Together), a group of autistic adults informing autism research priorities. Lisa has a master’s degree in the Art of Teaching. She is a certified autism specialist, a peer reviewer of the online journal, Autism in Adulthood, and owner of Lisa Morgan Consulting, LLC.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lisa Morgan has an employment relationship with Lisa Morgan Consulting, LLC. She is a consultant with NIMH and AASET-MHTP. Lisa Morgan receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lisa Morgan is the founder and co-chair of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup.

Mary Donahue, PhD Related seminars and products

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Mary P. Donahue, PhD, is a trauma-informed clinical practitioner, author, lecturer, consultant and advocate for various forms of interpersonal trauma such as childhood and adult sexual assault, interpersonal violence, neglect and other betrayals. The leads naturally to the autistic population. Dr. Donahue has authored several articles and books on mainstream/autistic interactions. She is a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, serves on various mental health boards, and advocates for the need to embrace different thinking when serving non-neurotypical individuals.

 

Speaker Disclosures
Financial: Mary Donahue maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Caring Unlimited and sits on the advisory board for Autistic Women Emerging. She receives royalties as a published author. Mary Donahue receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Mary Donahue is a member of the Maine Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association.

Additional Info

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Objectives

1. Recognize the differences in how autistic people think, communicate, and experience the world  
2. Demonstrate an increased understanding and acceptance of a need for cultural competency  
3. Apply culturally competent suicide prevention interventions in your clinical practice  

Outline

Autism in Everyday Life: Lived Experience  

• Unique challenges autistic people encounter every day  
• Identify heterogeneity of autism  
• Increased exposure to harm  
• Risks and limitations of research and techniques  

Cultural Competency: The Cure for Unintentional Harm  

• Prioritize the differences in how autistic people think, communicate and experience the world  
• Validate the experiences of autistic people  
• Utilize the available autism specific resources  

Making Mental Health Care Not Just Available, but Accessible  

• Unique risk factors and warning signs of suicide of autistic people  
• How to support the experiences of the autistic individuals  
• Ways to validate the autistic person through cultural competence and humility  

Cultural Crisis Supports and Suicide Prevention for Autistic People  

• Recognize the unique risk factors of autistic people  
• Assess autistic people using warning signs of suicide for autistic people  
• Apply culturally competent supports and practical applications  

Target Audience

• Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counsellors  
• Social Workers  
• Psychologists  
• Marriage & Family Therapists  
• School Administrators  
• Speech-Language Pathologists  
• Teachers/School-Based Personnel  
• Case Managers  
• Addiction Professionals  
• Nursing Home/Assisted Living Administrators  
• Occupational Therapists  
• Occupational Therapy Assistants  
• Nurses  
• Physical Therapists  
• Physical Therapist Assistants  
• Dieticians