Foster Care Training

This course will focus on effectively engaging caregivers in the suicide safety planning process. Attendees will review current U.S. youth suicide risk statistics, discuss research concerning caregiver experience when presented with the child in their care’s suicide risk acuity, and identify ways to support the caregiver in collaborating with the child in the safety planning process. Attendees will practice the use of Motivational Interviewing open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries to elicit caregiver understanding of the child’s suicidality, increase provider understanding of client’s risks and resiliency factors, and consolidate motivation to safety plan. The course will include strategies for speaking with caregivers about means safety.