January 23, 2018

Webinar (Jan. 30): Suicide Risk for the Homeless

EDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource Center is sponsoring “Improving Care for Homeless Patients at Risk for Suicide,” a free webinar designed for clinicians and health organization staff who work with homeless individuals. The event will be held on January 30, 2:30–4 p.m. (ET).

“We know that for homeless individuals continuity of care can be especially hard,” says EDC’s Nicole Tirone, a project coordinator with SPRC. “So we need to establish effective plans and take deliberate action to ensure their safety—and the safety of anyone at risk for suicide.”

An expert panel will address suicide care and the challenges of treating homeless individuals. They will also share the ways they have successfully improved patient engagement and safe care transitions in their institution’s policies and practices. The presenters are:

  • Virna Little, PsyD, LCSW-R, SAP, associate director of Strategic Planning at the Center for Innovation in Mental Health and the City University of New York
  • Jeffrey Sung, MD, University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  • Astrea Greig, PsyD, clinical psychologist, Boston Health Care for the Homeless
  • Matt Tice, LCSW, clinical services director at Pathways to Housing PA

According to 2014 data from eight states, about 60,000 homeless individuals were seen and released from hospital emergency departments. Of those, about 17 percent received care related to suicide or intentional self-inflicted injuries.

Due to popular demand, registration for this event is now closed, but an archive of the discussion will be available after the event.