Impact of a Virtual Suicide Safety Planning Training on Clinician Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Use of Safety Plans in Community Mental Health Clinics

Abstract

Objective

Safety planning is a critical evidence-based intervention used to prevent suicide among individuals who report suicidal ideation or behavior. There is a dearth of research on optimal ways to disseminate and implement safety plans in community settings. The present study examined one implementation strategy, a 1-hour virtual pre-implementation training, designed to teach clinicians to effectively use an electronic safety plan template (ESPT), integrated with suicide risk assessment tools, in the context of a measurement feedback system. We examined the effect of this training on clinician knowledge and self-efficacy in use of safety planning as well as ESPT completion rates.

Method

Thirty-six clinicians across two community-based clinical psychology training clinics completed the virtual pre-implementation training as well as pre- and post-training knowledge and self-efficacy assessments. Twenty-six clinicians completed a 6-month follow-up term.

Results

Clinicians reported significant improvements in self-efficacy and knowledge from pre- to post-training. They retained significant improvements in self-efficacy and a trend toward greater knowledge at the 6-month follow-up. Of the clinicians who worked with suicidal youth, 81% attempted to use an ESPT and 63% successfully completed all sections of the ESPT. Reasons for partial completion included technological difficulties and time constraints.

Conclusion

A brief virtual pre-implementation training can improve clinician knowledge and self-efficacy in use of an ESPT with youth at risk for suicide. This strategy also holds the potential to improve the adoption of this novel evidence-based intervention in community-based settings.

Keywords:

• Clinician training
• safety planning
• suicide
• youth

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emma D. Whitmyre

Emma D. Whitmyre, Ph.D., Christianne Esposito-Smythers, Ph.D., and Debora G. Goldberg, Ph.D., George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.

Christianne Esposito-Smythers

Emma D. Whitmyre, Ph.D., Christianne Esposito-Smythers, Ph.D., and Debora G. Goldberg, Ph.D., George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.

Debora G. Goldberg

Emma D. Whitmyre, Ph.D., Christianne Esposito-Smythers, Ph.D., and Debora G. Goldberg, Ph.D., George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.

Gabriella Scalzo

Gabriella Scalzo, M.A. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.

Annamarie B. Defayette

Annamarie B. Defayette, Ph.D., and Roberto López Jr., M.A., George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.

Roberto López

Annamarie B. Defayette, Ph.D., and Roberto López Jr., M.A., George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.