PRESENTER:  Shawn Christopher Shea, M.D. is an internationally acclaimed workshop leader and educational innovator in the fields of suicide prevention, clinical interviewing, and improving medication adherence. He has been a recipient of an Outstanding Course Award presented by the American Psychiatric Association for his presentations at their annual meetings. He is a frequent presenter at the Cape Cod Symposium where, in 1999, his course received the highest evaluation of the thirty courses presented over the summer. He has also presented at the Santa Fe Symposium, the Door County Summer Institute, and the Muskoka Summer Seminar Series from McMaster University.

Dr. Shea is the author of the best selling texts Psychiatric Interviewing: the Art of Understanding, 2nd Edition and The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment. In 1999, Psychiatric Interviewing: the Art of Understanding, 2nd Edition was chosen by the Medical Library Association for the Brandon/Hill List as one of the 16 most important books in the field of psychiatry. In 2005 the French translation of the book was chosen for the Prix Psyche as the most important new psychiatry text to appear in the French language.

In 2004 Dr. Shea released his first book of philosophy - Happiness Is. - which was chosen as a Brodart Library Gem, a Bowker's title to Watch, and selected as the Philosophy Book of the Month by the Radical Academy. His latest book, Improving Medication Adherence: How to Talk with Patients About Their Medications was released in October, 2006 with a forward by former Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, M.D,. Sc.D..

Dr. Shea is the Director of the Training Institute for Suicide Assessment and Clinical Interviewing (http://www.suicideassessment.com), a training and consultation service providing workshops, consultations, and quality assurance design in mental health assessments. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Dartmouth Medical School, and in private practice.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This full-day workshop provides front-line clinicians with the state of the art skills necessary to tackle some of the most difficult clinical situations facing experienced clinicians regarding suicide assessment, documentation of risk, and treatment planning.

In the first session, Dr. Shea brings a fresh perspective - matrix treatment planning - to our efforts to prevent suicide through the prospective building of a more resilient happiness in our clients. In the next session, a sophisticated look is given to the concept of risk and protective factors, focusing on their immediate application to the clinical formulation of suicide potential (including a detailed look at the new risk-factor mnemonic from the American Association of Suicidology).  Shea then proceeds to dissect the fine art of documenting a suicide assessment, providing tips for writing a sound document that is both a useful clinical tool and a written record that can keep you "out of court."

In the afternoon the focus shifts to direct methods of uncovering dangerous secrets. A large portion of the time is devoted to understanding five practical validity techniques: the behavioral incident, shame attenuation, gentle assumption, symptom amplification and denial of the specific - the cornerstones for effectively eliciting suicidal ideation. Dr. Shea demonstrates how these techniques can also provide powerful gateways for uncovering physical abuse, drug abuse, antisocial behavior, and incest. The final portion of the day is devoted to a demonstration of how these validity techniques can be woven into a specific strategy for eliciting suicidal ideation – the Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events (the CASE Approach). The highly acclaimed CASE Approach has been described by David Jobes Ph.D., a former President of the American Association of Suicidology, as follows:

“The CASE Approach moves the clinician almost imperceptibly into the secret internal workings of the mind and soul of the patient tormented by suicidal ideation. I believe that the CASE Approach is a remarkable conceptual and clinical contribution to the field of suicidology. It should be taught to any front-line clinician. It has the power to meaningfully save lives.”

All interviewing techniques will be clearly demonstrated through the use of videotape examples from actual client interviews.

Program Objectives:

1.        Be able to effectively apply the principles of matrix treatment planning and understand their relationship to the quest for a more resilient form of happiness (including healing matrix effects, damaging matrix effects, and the Red Herring Principle}.

2.        Be able to use the current state of the art regarding risk and protective factors to better formulate suicide risk, including the ability to utilize interviewing techniques for uncovering psychotic risk factors such as command hallucinations, feelings of alien control, and hyper-religious ideation.

3.        Understand how attorneys use the written document to attack or defend in malpractice suits and the "Seven Protective Principles for Suicide Documentation."

4.        Recognize and be able to utilize the following five techniques for increasing validity: the behavioral incident, shame attenuation, gentle assumption, symptom amplification, and denial of the specific.

5.        Be able to utilize flexible strategies for weaving the above five validity techniques into effective methods of uncovering sensitive material, such as antisocial behavior and violent ideation, while maintaining a powerful engagement.

6.        Apply the CASE Approach to uncover hidden suicidal ideation and actions.

Cost:

Early Bird Registration (on or before April 25):  $80.00 per person

After April 25th: $95.00 per person

Not for Profit registration: $70.00 per person

No charge for CSAC staff or consumers