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This presentation invites participants to reflect on their experiences of administering suicide risk assessments. It explores new possibilities for working in relation to suicide screening in situations where this is a requirement of professional practice, informed by Michael White’s Maps of practice and William Madsen Phd’s work on assessments. A study will highlight experiences of concern around how approaches to ‘suicide risk assessment’ can affect our work and the young people who are assessed. The assessment process as an intervention in itself will be explored, with the potential for negative consequences for young people, workers and the therapeutic relationship. Drawing on a narrative and post-structuralist framework new developments and ideas will be shared. These intend to scaffold conversations that externalise the problem, elicit people’s life-sustaining practices, and enable assessment of distress and suicidal thoughts. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the style of questions and consider further applications. There will also be opportunity to look how these learnings may protect from ”burn out” or “ticking boxes” for requirements out of fear.
We hope this will invite participants to feel more useful and empowered in the context of this requirement, connect to curiosity about ways of having conversations that open up space for people to speak of despair, and questions about living, in ways that are respectful and encouraging of life-sustaining steps.
Rina Taub is a Counselling Psychologist with over 25 years of professional experience. She is Director of In-Sight Narrative Therapy and has engaged in Narrative practices in community Mental Health settings, as well as with young people, adults, couples and families in private practice, and as a registered clinical supervisor. She has enjoyed sharing the intentions that inform this framework, and the craft of the questions, through facilitating reflective practice groups, and workshops for various health and welfare agencies and has lectured at university and presented at National and International Conferences. She has been the convener of the Narrative Theory and Practice in Psychology interest group of the APS since 2011..Rina presented on this topic at the National Suicide Prevention Conference in Brisbane in July and published the paper: First steps towards an alternative suicide risk screening tool: Navigating risk assessment and encouraging life-sustaining conversations International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, 4: 67-76
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Rina Taub has employment relationships with In-Sight Narrative Therapy, College of Psychological Practice, and College of Professional Psychology. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Rina Taub has no relevant non-financial relationships.
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