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Digital Seminar

Self-Harm, Suicide and Depression in the Schools


Faculty:
John Joseph Bearoff, PhD
Duration:
5 Hours 55 Minutes
Format:
Audio and Video
Copyright:
Dec 11, 2018
Product Code:
POS054230
Media Type:
Digital Seminar
Access:
Never expires.


Description

The school years are fraught with turmoil and strife for kids. In addition to the usual unrest, many of your students will be affected by emotional and/or mental health issues. They may present with dropping grades, decreased class participation and negative acting-out behavior. For some students, these issues escalate into more severe and complex behaviors that cause harm to both themselves and others.

These students often become emotionally withdrawn, exhibit extreme mood swings, become severely depressed and may even resort to self-harm and/or suicide. These issues pose a serious challenge to you and your school.

As an educator, you are in the unique position to identify, help and support these struggling students. This recording will examine the best strategies for identification, prevention and postvention among students with depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how to detect and respond to at-risk students at the individual level, classroom level and school-wide level.

You will learn strategies, techniques and interventions to provide the appropriate support and effectively help students cope. Whether you are a classroom teacher, school counselor/psychologist/social worker, administrator or support staff, you will leave this seminar armed with tools you need to connect with and help students who most need your help.

CPD


CPD
- PESI Australia, in collaboration with PESI in the USA, offers quality online continuing professional development events from the leaders in the field at a standard recognized by professional associations including psychology, social work, occupational therapy, alcohol and drug professionals, counselling and psychotherapy. On completion of the training, a Professional Development Certificate is issued after the individual has answered and submitted a quiz and course evaluation. This online program is worth 6.0 hours CPD for points calculation by your association.

Handouts

Faculty

John Joseph Bearoff, PhD Related seminars and products


John Bearoff, PhD, has over 40 years of experience in a wide variety of settings including as a classroom teacher, substitute teacher, school psychologist, and private practitioner. This diverse background allows John to speak from a unique perspective of understanding - on all levels. John is a Certified School Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist.

Dr. Bearoff has conducted more than 300 in-service programs to school districts around the country. Topics for educators include grief/loss intervention, stress management with students and staff, crisis intervention, depression and suicide intervention and creating safe schools. John has been responsible for initiating and developing district wide programs on grief/loss intervention/postvention, student assistance programs for drug and alcohol intervention. He also created suicide prevention and anti-bullying programs for several large school districts.

In addition, John has been the chairperson for school district committees created to establish district-wide Safe Schools plans. He has also been the chairperson for multicultural awareness committees, which established school district policies relating to diversity and tolerance.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: John Bearoff is in private practice. He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: John Bearoff has no relevant non-financial relationship to disclose.


Objectives

  1. Integrate techniques to build students’ social/emotional skills, thus increasing the likelihood to establish positive relationships.
  2. Recommend effective methods to detect the hidden signs of depression, self-harm & suicide and put to practical use in the schools.
  3. Implement techniques that promote resiliency among all students thus improving their social and academic success.
  4. Explore a collaborative approach to integrate SEL into the curriculum.
  5. Ascertain the underlying reasons for self-harm & suicide in order to improve your connection with the student.
  6. Provide guidelines for notifying and engaging parents.
  7. Specify a suicide intervention team and delineate the role of each member.
  8. Establish best practices for postvention plans in the aftermath of a suicide.

Outline

Today’s Mental Health Issues in our Classrooms
  • Prevalence of depression, self-harm and suicide
  • The first line of defense: Role of teacher & school
  • Confidentiality & sharing of information
  • A collaborative approach
Depression: Identify and Reach At-Risk Students
  • Telltale and hidden warning signs
  • Key factors determining susceptibility, vulnerability and recovery
    • Emotional reserve
    • Emotional resiliency
  • Creative strategies to reach at-risk students
    • Sorry 7 & Super 7
    • Activities to enhance connection
    • Techniques to increase engagement
  • Classroom & school-wide accommodations
Self-Harm: Develop a Protocol for Handling the Silent School Epidemic
  • Modes of self-harm: Similarities and differences
  • Understanding the “why” of self-harm
  • Protective factors & risk factors
  • The interconnected role of addiction, self-harm & suicide
  • Approaching and connecting with the student
  • Strategies to support the at-risk student
    • Techniques to engage the disengaged
    • Methods to build coping skills
  • Notifying and engaging the parents
Create a Suicide Crisis Team: Guidelines to Recognize and Respond to Suicidal Behaviors
  • Recognizing the underlying reasons
  • Risk factors: Low/medium/high level of risk
  • Imminent warning signs – the strongest predictors
  • What to do when you suspect or hear of ideation
  • Approaching and connecting with the student
  • Strategies to:
    • Address and respond to ideation
    • Cope with a suicide attempt
    • Mobilize staff
  • Notifying and engaging the parents
  • Is suicide contagious?
Prevention Toolkit: A Guide to Help Prevent Depression, Self-Harm and Suicide
  • The role of Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) in preventing depression, self-harm and suicide
  • A collaborative, strategic approach to integrate SEL into the curriculum
    • Empower students
    • Promote connection
  • Case example: Effective K-12 SEL approach to prevention
After Suicide: Postvention Plans for Schools
  • Short-term strategies
  • Long-term, school-wide interventions
  • Minimizing risk of self-harm & suicide contagion
  • Case example: Successful postvention plans

Target Audience

  • Classroom Teachers
  • Special Education Personnel
  • Principals and Other Administrators
  • School Psychologists
  • School Counselors
  • Social Workers
  • School Nurses
  • School Safety Specialists
  • School Resource Officers
  • Other People working with Kids

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