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Part One: Understanding and Connecting with the Suicidal Client

Thursday, February 19th, 2026   10:00 AM EST -12:00 PM EST
Tzivia Reiter
$75.00 Cost For Member: $55 Cost For Student: $45

Understanding and Connecting with the Suicidal Client explores foundational knowledge on suicidality grounded in current research and clinical best practices. Participants will learn to differentiate between passive and active suicidal ideation, conduct balanced risk assessments that integrate both risk and protective factors, and recognize clinician-based barriers that can interfere with effective care. Particular emphasis is placed on the therapeutic relationship as a central component of suicide prevention, highlighting strategies for fostering connection while managing clinician anxiety, avoidance, and overreaction. This workshop equips clinicians with practical tools to engage suicidal clients safely, thoughtfully, and effectively.

About the Presenter

Tzivia Reiter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Director of Children's Services at OHEL. Her many articles on topics impacting the Jewish community, including Trauma, Mental Health and Disabilities, have appeared in major Jewish publications.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe core principles of suicidality as informed by current empirical research and clinical theory.
  2. Differentiate between passive and active suicidal ideation using clinically relevant indicators.
  3. Conduct a suicide risk assessment that integrates both risk factors and protective factors to inform clinical decision-making.
  4. Identify common clinician-based barriers (e.g., anxiety, avoidance, overreaction) and apply strategies to manage their impact on assessment and intervention.
  5. Apply relationally grounded, evidence-informed engagement strategies to strengthen therapeutic connection with suicidal clients and reduce clinical risk.

Agenda:

2-Hour Agenda (Intermediate Level)

Total Time: 2 Hours (120 minutes)

1. Framing the Clinical Task of Suicide Work (10 minutes)

  • Orientation to workshop goals and scope

  • Suicide work as high-risk, high-impact clinical practice

  • The role of clinician affect, responsibility, and judgment in suicide prevention

Advanced focus: Ethical responsibility and tolerance of clinical uncertainty

2. Core Principles of Suicidality: Research and Clinical Models (20 minutes)

  • Contemporary research findings on suicidality

  • Conceptual models (stress-diathesis, interpersonal risk, trauma-informed perspectives)

  • Moving beyond myths and oversimplifications

Advanced focus: Translating research into nuanced clinical understanding

3. Passive vs. Active Suicidal Ideation: Clinical Differentiation (20 minutes)

  • Defining passive ideation, active ideation, intent, and behavior

  • Clinical indicators that increase or decrease concern

  • Common errors in minimizing or over-pathologizing passive ideation

Clinical application: Case-based differentiation and discussion

4. Suicide Risk Assessment: Integrating Risk and Protective Factors (25 minutes)

  • Components of a comprehensive suicide risk assessment

  • Balancing static and dynamic risk factors

  • Identifying and weighing protective factors without false reassurance

  • Using clinical judgment rather than checklist-only approaches

Advanced focus: Risk formulation and documentation that supports clinical reasoning

5. Clinician Internal Responses and Countertransference (20 minutes)

  • Common clinician reactions: fear, urgency, avoidance, over-control

  • How internal responses shape assessment and intervention

  • Strategies for regulation, consultation, and reflective practice

Experiential element: Guided self-reflection or small-group discussion

6. Therapeutic Connection as a Core Suicide Prevention Strategy (15 minutes)

  • The centrality of the therapeutic alliance in suicide prevention

  • Language and stance that enhance safety and engagement

  • Avoiding relational ruptures while maintaining ethical responsibility

Advanced focus: Managing dual roles of care and risk containment

7. Best Practices and Common Clinical Pitfalls (10 minutes)

  • What increases vs. decreases client safety

  • Common mistakes in engagement and assessment

  • When and how to escalate care appropriately

8. Integration, Clinical Takeaways, and Q&A (10 minutes)

  • Integration of assessment, clinician awareness, and relational engagement

  • Key principles for immediate clinical application

  • Questions and discussion

These workshops offer 2 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: intermediate
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • NEFESH International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0116.
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0046
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Mental Health Counselor #MHC-0082
  • NEFESH International is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0048.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.