Despite advancements in mental health interventions, the population-adjusted suicide rate in the United States has risen by approximately 35% between 1998 and 2021, remaining alarmingly high. This workshop equips psychologists, licensed mental health professionals, medical personnel, and ministry leaders with evidence-based tools to address suicide prevention while integrating a faith- based perspective. Participants will explore psychiatric best practices for suicide risk assessment, including the use of validated tools like the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and the role of psychiatric medications, such as lithium, in mitigating suicidal ideation and behavior. The session also examines the limitations of secular approaches and introduces a faith-based framework that emphasizes the inherent dignity of life, the value of relationships and community, and the church’s role in fostering hope. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to address spiritual, relational, and systemic factors contributing to “deaths of despair,” supporting Chrisitan clients with both clinical expertise and biblical insight.
216 | Preventing Suicide in a Culture of Death: An Urgent Task for Counseling and the Church
PRESENTERS
Warren Kinghorn, M.D., Th.D.
CE CREDITS
1.25
Approved For CE
APA, ASWB, NBCC, NAADAC, IBCC, AMA PRA Category 1 Credits, AOA Category 2A Credits, Georgia Nurses Association, AAFP , Educational CEUs for ACSI, Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
Approved For CME/CEU
LEVEL
Intermediate
Summary
Learning Objectives
1 Evaluate empirical evidence behind common suicide risk screening practices, including the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
2 Outline the current evidence surrounding psychiatric medication use, particularly lithium, in reducing suicidal ideation and behavior.
3 Identify and assess three theological affirmations foundational to a faith-based approach to suicide prevention.