Crisis Management and Suicidality

This course identifies the methods used by crisis team experts when handling a case with suicidality or history of violence. These skills are essential to early career clinicians and they are not always included in typical course curriculum. Clinicians will learn how to prepare for a session with clients in crisis, ask questions in crisis moments, and what to look for an initial assessment and ongoing.

You will learn to:

• Identify warning signs for a patient in crisis and how to therapeutically respond.

• Prepare a list of questions that are approachable and effective to assess if a patient is in crisis.

• Distinguish what terminology to use with the patient in crisis and what to document after the interaction.

• Determine when and why crisis team members enact a 5150 hold and when it is appropriate.

This course includes insight from two experts in the field, both coming from PERT in San Diego, CA. What’s PERT you ask? Oh that’s the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team - the team that provides clinical support to law enforcement and emergencies when people in the community are experiencing a mental health crisis. PERT is specific to San Diego, however there are many crisis teams across the country that provide clinical assistance.

Brenna and Sara talk about all of their experiences, their strategies, and de-escalation methods behind handling patients in crisis with care. Rachel does not shy away from any questions in this course as this topic quite literally has people’s lives on the line.

If you know someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, please provide them with resources like the 988 hotline and offer non-judgmental support. Who ya gonna call… PERT Teamsters!