Lethal Means Counseling

Course overview

In 2020, 12.1 million adults seriously considered suicide, and 1.2 million attempted to take their own life (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2021). Of the 46,000 individuals who died by suicide, more than half used a firearm. Suicide accounts for more than half of gun deaths in the U.S. (CDC, 2021). A suicide crisis can escalate quickly. Most people seek means within 20 minutes of the initial urge. If people can access lethal means during an acute suicide crisis, they are more likely to die. Lethal means counseling reduces a persons access to deadly suicide methods. It allows time for the crisis to resolve or for heightened emotions to stabilize. Lethal means counseling is a critical element of effective suicide prevention, yet providers do not always implement it. This course will explain the critical components of lethal means counseling, including when, why, and with whom it should be used. This course also explains how to effectively engage at-risk individuals in a conversational and collaborative approach to this process. The goal of this course is to provide skills about lethal means counseling to addictions professionals, behavioral health counseling professionals, marriage and family therapy professionals, nursing professionals, psychology professionals, and social work professionals in health and human services settings.