AIM 15

Treatment of Suicide Risk


This aim focuses on providing evidence-based treatment for suicide prevention and evaluating client treatment outcomes. It incorporates all other key components of suicide prevention and therapy such as therapeutic alliance, cultural competence, and adequate clinician training.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

A 2-day, internationally recognized program which utilizes a blend of clinical examples and core therapeutic skills (e.g., problem solving, opposite action) which have been found to be particularly effective at reducing suicide attempts in adults. The DBT model employs multiple components to deliver effective counseling including individual therapy, group skills training, in between-session telephone coaching, and access to therapist consultation team. Mental health professionals learn to use a careful balance of comprehensive skills such as orienting, commitment, validation, and irreverence, to name a few.