Overview:
Suicide is defined as the intentional taking of one’s own life and comes from the Latin word suicidium, which means “to kill oneself.” Parasuicide, a form of attempted suicide, is an attempt to take one’s life that does not end in death. Globally, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death, with over 800 000 people dying each year by suicide. Suicide and parasuicide can occur at any point in the lifespan, and in some countries, suicide is the leading cause of death among young people ages 15–24 years.
Rates of completed suicide are higher in men than women—with men being up to four times more likely to kill themselves than women. According to the Center for Disease Control, male deaths represent about 79% of all suicides in the United States of America, and firearms are the most lethal means of suicide, accounting for over 50% of suicides in the US. However, the rates for non-fatal attempted suicide are four times more likely in women than men and are more common in young adults/adolescents. Suicide attempts are influenced by a range of risk factors including the person’s history (e.g., abuse victim, previous attempts, mental illness) and current mental state (e.g., depression), current external stresses (e.g., recent divorce, financial problems), access to the means of self-harm (e.g., firearms, poisons, medications), and the individual’s access to protective factors such as family or peer support.
The ability to recognize and effectively intervene with suicidal individuals is one of the most challenging aspects of public health intervention. This presentation is designed to increase awareness of suicide and to equip participants with information and skills to respond to a person considering suicide. Participants will gain a broader understanding of suicide as a national and worldwide issue.
Objectives:
- Define mental health, suicide, parasuicide, and other suicide-related behaviors;
- State key global and national statistics on suicide;
- Explain how suicide rates differ between men and women;
- Discuss how suicide differs among special groups in the United States such as adolescents, LGBTQ youths, Native Americans, and military veterans;
- Explain the leading causes and pathophysiology of suicide.
- Perform a thorough assessment of persons at risk for suicide;
- Discuss effective strategies for suicide prevention.
Course materials are only available to enrolled students.
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Sean Knowles, MD
Dr. Sean Leonardo Knowles, MD, is a physician at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre in Nassau, Bahamas, where he works in the Substance Abuse wards. With an impressive academic background, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Saint John's University in Minnesota, followed by a Master of Science degree in Mathematics & Statistics from Youngstown State University in Ohio. He also completed a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of the West Indies and earned a Master of Science degree in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Dr. Knowles has received numerous awards throughout his career, including The Dr. Mortimer Moxey Most Outstanding Performance in Community Medicine Award in 2013 and the Most Outstanding Graduate Student in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics Award in 2005. He is also a member of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and has completed the University of Minnesota – Duluth and the North American Training Institute’s Studies in Gambling Addiction: Counseling the Pathological Gambler Certification course. Dr. Knowles' ultimate career goal is to serve the public health sector of The Bahamas as a physician, health policymaker, and educator, utilizing his background in psychiatry, clinical medicine, mathematics, and immunology of infectious diseases. He is a man of faith, having been raised by his maternal grandmother, who instilled in him the values of hard work, believing in oneself, and having faith in God. Dr. Knowles' dedication to his community is evident in his mentoring of young men and his desire to become a Minister of Health in The Bahamas someday.
National Approvals
eCare BHI, as the accredited and approved sponsor, maintains responsibility for all the programs and must abide by each board’s continuing education guidelines.

Professional Counselors — The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute has been approved by NBCC as an approved Continuing Education Provider. ACEP No. 6703. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Addiction Professionals — NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute is officially on file with NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) as an Approved Education Provider. They are formally known as NAADAC Provider #139138. Please note that E care Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Social Workers — Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
E Care Behavioral Health Institute, #1706, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. E Care Behavioral Health Institute maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 06-03-2020 – 06-03-2026.

CE Broker
CE Broker is a continuing education tracking system in which licensees track their compliance and report their completed CE hours credit (CE Broker Tracking #50-33336)
State Approvals
States that Accept ASWB-ACE Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois |
Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland |
Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio |
Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee |
Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin |
Wyoming |
States that Accepts NBCC Approved Courses: |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut |
Delaware | District Of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Indiana |
Iowa | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Missouri | New Hampshire | New Jersey |
New Mexico | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota |
Tennessee | Texas | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin |
- Nevada CPC’s and MFT’s accept ASWB-approved training
- North Dakota Board Of Counselor Examiners LAPC and LAPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Rhode Island Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council LPC and LPCS accept ASWB approved training
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing – CMHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Washington State Department of Mental Health MHC’s accept ASWB approved training
- Wisconsin Council on Mental Health LPCS accepts ASWB-approved training
States that Accept NAADAC Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | Delaware | Hawaii | Indiana |
Kentucky | Maine | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Montana | Nevada | New Jersey |
New Jersey | New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Oregon | Rhode Island | Tennessee |
Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
States that Accept APA Approved Providers |
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Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Delaware | District Of Columbia |
Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas |
Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri |
Montana | Nebraska | New Jersey | New Mexico | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont | Virginia |
Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |