Kristen H. Erps and Stephanie Miodus

Graduates from health service psychology programs are expected to gain competency in many different areas before becoming independent practitioners. Despite developing key clinical skills throughout graduate training, one area that is often under-emphasized is recognizing and responding to clients at risk for suicide. In fact, studies have shown that many psychology graduates lack training in suicide prevention and intervention procedures and leave training feeling ill-prepared to work with individuals who are experiencing suicidality (Allen et al., 2002; Erps et al., 2020). 

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students’ Advocacy Coordinating Team (APAGS-ACT) advocates for graduate students across all psychology training programs. As noted above, explicit education in suicide prevention, suicide risk assessment, and working with individuals who are at risk for suicide is not always a component of graduate training. For graduate students who hope to gain more competency in this area, APAGS-ACT has created a resource list that provides various avenues to independently gain education and exposure to suicide prevention. 

The resources in this list are not meant to be exhaustive; they instead provide a starting point for students who seek to increase their knowledge in this area. This list includes websites, organizations with which to get involved, volunteer and work opportunities, and trainings that are offered online. It also includes a competency assessment that can be used on an individual level or integrated into a graduate training program. 

The opportunities described in the resource list span conferences, community programs, certifications, and strategies for supporting those at risk for suicide, as well as other tools focused on suicide assessment and prevention. Graduate students in psychology programs are encouraged to explore these resources in order to supplement gaps they identify in their clinical training. Graduate programs can also use this resource list to support students in building their skills in suicide prevention, assessment, and treatment. 

References 

Allen, M., Jerome, A., White, A., Marston, S., Lamb, S., Pope, D., & Rawlins, C. (2002). The preparation of school psychologists for crisis intervention. Psychology in the Schools, 39(4), 427-439. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10044

Erps, K. H., Ochs, S., & Myers, C. L. (2020). School psychologists and suicide risk assessment: Role perception and competency. Psychology in the Schools, 57(6), 884-900. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22367