Description:
OPD Points: 5
Join Jacinta Hawgood as she explores how to respond when your clients disclose that they are struggling. Responding to sudden client disclosures that point to potential suicidality is not always an easy task. It is not uncommon for clients to reveal that they are ‘not ok’ either halfway through a session, or even at the very end of a session; even if the topic of suicidality has been explored or questioned much earlier in the session.Understanding the importance of ‘worker preparedness’ for such disclosures, what this means, and knowing how to respond are key to providing appropriate safety and support to someone who is ‘not ok’. Worker preparedness and resourceful responses are also key for increasing worker comfort and confidence, as well as reducing fear and anxiety that commonly arises in this context.Facilitator Jacinta Hawgood is joined by PhD candidate Martina McGrath as a voice to the lived experience and co-facilitator in exploring this topic. Ideal forProfessionals including community organisation workers, school staff, health professionals, youth workers, child and family workers, psychologists, clinicians and counsellors.
Key Learning Objectives / Outcomes:
Presenter / Provider:
Ms Jacinta Hawgood
Presenter Qualifications:
Ms Jacinta Hawgood BSSc, BPsy(Hons), MClinPsy (MAPS, MCCLP) Jacinta Hawgood is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director of Suicidology at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, where she has worked for over 20 years.She is a clinical psychologist and suicidologist who has devoted her career to understanding the suicidal pain and experiences of those with lived experience of suicide. Her research and clinical interests are in psycho-social, person centred suicide risk assessment processes, personal suicide stigma, the impacts of client/co-worker suicide on the worker, and suicide prevention training design and evaluation.Her PhD (candidate) is in the area of suicide risk assessment and the feasibility and validity of the Systematic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality (STARS) interview protocol. She is the lead author of STARS protocol published first in 2015 and most recently updated in 2018.Jacinta has provided expert advice and guidance on suicide risk assessment, and other suicidology topics to state and national government departments and private organisations. She has presented research findings at a range of state, national and international conferences, has co-authored and edited a book, book chapters, and numerous peer-reviewed articles and government reports in the field.Jacinta is a non-executive Director of the Board of Suicide Prevention Australia, and Mates in Construction (Qld/NT), and a member on several national and international advisory boards regarding suicide prevention
