Monday, May 08, 2006

Suicide Prevention Seminars

The Division of MHDDAD is pleased to continue the Suicide Prevention Training Series with five sessions of the Foundations Seminar. These sessions will take place in Marietta, Morrow, Savannah, Macon & Tifton between May 31 and June 6, 2006. Dr. Paul Quinnett of the QPR Institute will be our trainer for this series.

TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT

Preventing Suicide Among Georgia's Consumers of MH & AD Services:
Foundations Seminar - FY'06 Training Series

To: Community Providers for Mental Health and Addictive Diseases Disorders
Regional Coordinators
Regional Hospital Administrators

From: Cherry Finn, Acting Director, Office of Mental Health, Division of MHDDAD
Neil Kaltenecker, Director, Office of Addictive Diseases, Division of MHDDAD

CC: Division Management Team
Date: May 2, 2006

The purpose of this memo is to provide details about the remaining seminars in the FY06 Suicide Prevention training series for providers of Mental Health & Addictive Diseases Services.

Title: Preventing Suicide Among Georgia's MH & AD Consumers: Foundations Seminar for the FY06 Training Series

Background: Suicide is preventable, yet it is the third leading cause of death in young adults and has a higher than average prevalence rate among older adults, people with illnesses and people with addictive diseases. Please refer to the attached list of annotated websites for further information. As an FY06 training/technical assistance priority, the Division is continuing its partnership with the QPR Institute. This nationally recognized organization has expertise in designing and implementing clinical and community systems of suicide prevention and risk reduction. The Division of MHDDAD is adopting a multi-pronged strategy to increase competency and capacity to prevent and reduce the risk of suicide among persons with mental illness and addictive diseases.

The Foundations training builds on the training conducted in early 2005. The purpose of this training will help strengthen staff competencies and build Georgia's capacity to sustain a future focus on suicide prevention/risk reduction. The training will be offered in six locations to a broad range of community providers and hospital staff.

Audience: Those who are encouraged to attend the Foundations Training include:
* Administrators and managers of community and hospital services for MH and AD Consumers
* Supervisors and clinicians serving persons with MH & AD needs
* Regional and State Office staff of the Division of MHDDAD

PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONG GEORGIA'S CONSUMERS OF MH & AD SERVICES: FOUNDATIONS NOTE: The training will begin at 9:00 and conclude at 4:00. On-site registration starts at 8:30 a.m.

Thursday March 23, 2006 Session already conducted DOUGLASVILLE

Wednesday May 31, 2006
Please register by May 24, 2006
MARIETTA
Workforce Development Conference Ctr. Bldg. H
Chattahoochee Technical College
980 South Cobb Drive, SE,
Marietta, GA 30060,
(770) 528-4550

Thursday June 1, 2006
Please register by May 25, 2006
MORROW
Downs Continuing Education Center
Clayton College and State University
5900 North Lee Street, Morrow, GA 30260,
770-960-4207

Friday June 2, 2006
Please register by May 31, 2006
Savannah
Coastal Georgia Center (Meeting Room 111)
305 Fahm Street, Savannah, GA 31401,
912-651-2844

Monday June 5, 2006
Please register by May 29, 2006
MACON
River Edge Behavioral Health Center (Located in the Health Plaza)
175 Emery Highway, Macon, GA 31217,
478-751-4514

Tuesday June 6, 2006
Please register by May 30, 2006
TIFTON
UGA Tifton Conference Center
15 RDC Road, Tifton, GA 31793,
229-386-3416

Description: The Foundations training will provide a broad range of information tailored especially to the clinical and administrative needs of leaders, managers and supervisors, as well as clinicians. Topics to be addressed include:
* Scope of the suicide problem
* Strategies for suicide prevention and risk reduction
* Relationship of mental illness and substance abuse to suicide
* The role of gatekeepers: recognition and referral
* Risk assessment strategies and tools
* A systems approach to suicide risk reduction: frameworks and tools

Presenter: Paul Quinnett of the QPR Institute is a nationally recognized leader in this field. QPR Institute's website is located at www.qprinstitute.com <http://www.qprinstitute.com>

Paul Quinnett, Ph.D., is the President and CEO of the QPR Institute. A clinical psychologist and trainer with 31 years of suicide prevention experience, Dr. Quinnett has developed and managed a suicide prevention hotline, an outpatient emergency services department and dozens of mental health service delivery programs. He is the author of seven books and many professional articles, including the classic Suicide: The Forever Decision, now published in several languages. A keynote speaker and strong advocate for the survivors of suicide, he has served as the Chief Psychologist for the Spokane Mental Health APA-approved psychology internship program for more than 20 years. He served as the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee for the American Association of Suicidology, and as the past Editor-in-Chief of Preventing Suicide: The National Journal. He currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science at the University of Washington, School of Medicine.

CEUs: Application has been made through the University of Georgia, School of Social Work for continuing education credits for Social Workers, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists. This CEU certificate qualifies for Psychology CEUs in Area III. All others may utilize the certificate from the UGA School of Social Work for their attendance documentation.

Registration: Those identified above may register for this session; several participants from an organization are encouraged to attend in order to promote dissemination of the information from this training.
* Registrations will be screened to ensure that as many organizations as possible participate. If limits on registrants per organization are necessary, we will contact you by email.
* Confirmation of registration will be provided by the Division of MHDDAD Training staff via e-mail. Please be prepared to present a printed copy of your registration confirmation upon sign-in for the training.
* NOTE: The easiest and preferred way to register is to REGISTER ON LINE at: <http://www.cviog.uga.edu/training/dhr>.
Please register on line if possible - it's quick and easy!
* The Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) at UGA will coordinate registration for this series.
* If you are unable to access the Internet to register on line, you may FAX the attached Registration Form to Michael Moryc at 404/463-6808.

Please note: While there is no fee for this training, participants are responsible for their own meals, travel and lodging arrangements. Please note that no refreshments will be served, but participants are welcome to bring a beverage or snack.

Contact: For more information about the content or registration approval, contact Tracie Al'Belar, Training Coordinator at 404-657-2291 or via email at RegistrationMHDDAD@dhr.state.ga.us <mailto:RegistrationMHDDAD@dhr.state.ga.us>

AN ANNOTATED LIST OF WEBSITES

The national impetus for the development of suicide prevention strategies came from the 1999 Surgeon General's Call To Action to Prevent Suicide. There are several connections to Georgia around the document. The Call to Action came out when Dr. David Satcher, now Director of the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine, was Surgeon General and Representative John Lewis of Georgia was one of the original sponsors of a congressional resolution calling for the development of a national strategy to prevent suicide. You can read the document in your preferred format at:
<http://surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/default.htm>

The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) represents the combined work of advocates, clinicians, researchers and survivors around the nation. It lays out a framework for action to prevent suicide and guides development of an array of services and programs that must be developed. It is designed to be a catalyst for social change with the power to transform attitudes, policies, and services. The NSSP Goals and Objectives for Action were published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May of 2001, with leadership from the Surgeon General. Goals 6, 7, and 8 specifically relate to professional training and practice for mental health and substance abuse professionals. Find the Summary of the Goals and Objectives of the National Strategy at:
<http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA01-3518/default.asp>
A rich website, a collaborative effort of SAMSA, CDC, NIH, HRSA, and HIS, supports the work related to NSSP at <http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention/strategy.asp>. On this website there is a very useful fact sheet that focuses on the relationship of suicide to both mental health and substance abuse. Particularly interesting is the incidence data relating to suicide and particular mental health diagnoses and substance abuse. <http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention/suicidefacts.asp>
SPAN USA, founded in 1996 by Gerald and Elsie Weyrauch of Marietta, Georgia, has been influential in developing and influencing both national and state policy relating to suicide prevention since its founding. SPAN USA is a 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to preventing suicide through personal and community action grounded in best practices and collaboration. Their goal is to create a way for survivors of suicide - those who have lost someone to suicide - to transform their grief into positive action to prevent future tragedies. Read about past and current legislation around suicide prevention and explore the website at <http://www.spanusa.org>.
Georgia specific information, Suicide in Georgia 2000 and the Georgia Suicide Prevention Plan can be accessed on this site at <http://www.spanusa.org/GSPP.html>

The Georgia Suicide Prevention Plan was presented at the Rosalyn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum on May 21, 2002. The 2002 Mental Health Forum Program Report, Suicide Prevention in Georgia: Healing and Hope, containing the remarks of both national and local Georgia presenters, is available online at <http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/1261.pdf>

The QPR Institute, the organization presenting this Suicide Prevention for Georgia MH & AD Consumers training, is dedicated to "saving lives through excellence in education" and has a website full of information. You can find out more about the varied work of the QPR institute at <http://www.qprinstitute.com>

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