A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend by registering using this link.

College counseling clinicians are increasingly working with students who engage in self-injury and experience suicidal thoughts, making it essential to distinguish these related but distinct clinical presentations. This session will examine the latest research on self-injury and suicide risk in college populations, with a focus on factors that can inform accurate risk formulation and intervention. Through case examples and practical guidance, attendees will explore strategies for assessment, safety planning, and treatment that are responsive to the unique developmental and contextual needs of college students. Participants will leave with clinically applicable approaches to support evidence-informed decision-making when working with students at risk for suicide.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the overlap and distinctions between suicidal ideation, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidal behavior in college students.

2. Identify current evidence on psychological, interpersonal, and contextual factors associated with elevated suicide risk among students who engage in self-injury.

3. Conduct assessments for self-injury and suicide risk through multiple modalities.

4. Integrate evidence-based recommendations into case conceptualization, safety planning, and treatment decision-making for college students at risk for suicide.

Presenter: 

Dr. Amy Brausch is a Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Western Kentucky University and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She works with issues of suicide and self-injury in adolescents and young adults in both her clinical work and research.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend by registering using this link.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend by registering using this link.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend by registering using this link.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend by registering using this link.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a practical, evidence-based communication approach that helps campus staff and faculty engage students in conversations about change with empathy, respect, and collaboration. This training introduces core MI principles and skills that can be used in everyday campus interactions. Attendees will learn tools to reduce resistance, strengthen student motivation, and support students in identifying their own next steps. OCUSP Members can view the recording of the training via the training section of OCUSP’s website.

Presenter Bio: Alan Siebel, LPC, CADC-III, is a Eugene-based therapist and MI trainer with over thirty years of experience in the helping profession. A graduate of Marshall University and a proud member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), Alan balances a thriving private practice with a decade-long commitment to providing professional MI training for various community agencies in Oregon. Originally from West Virginia, Alan loves spending his off-hours in Springfield with his partner, grandkids, and their two pups.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

OCUSP Members are invited to attend to work on creating reviewing, updating your school's postvention plan. Work can be independent and/or consultative. Register here to get recurring calendar invitation.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

Presenter: 

Lydia Anne M. Bartholow, DNP, PMHNP, CARN-AP, FIAAN.

Description: 

Young adults presenting with suicidal ideation (SI) and co-occurring substance use often do so in the context of complex developmental and environmental stressors. These challenges are often compounded by histories of adversity that may not be immediately visible but have measurable impacts on emotional regulation, risk perception, and engagement with care. High Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scores can serve as a neurobiological vulnerability, increasing the likelihood of both suicidality and substance use.

This workshop offers a practical, clinically focused approach for working with young adults experiencing suicidal ideation and substance use, grounded in the principles of trauma-informed care (TIC). Participants will learn how to integrate a trauma-informed lens into all aspects of care—from assessment to safety planning—and how to adapt interventions for young people who use substances. This includes the use of non-traditional safety planning methods that prioritize harm reduction and suicide prevention.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify and explain the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), suicidal ideation, and substance use in young adults, including their impact on emotional regulation and care engagement

2. Apply trauma-informed care (TIC) principles to clinical interactions with young adults presenting with co-occurring suicidal ideation and substance use, from initial assessment through to intervention and safety planning.

3. Demonstrate the ability to adapt traditional safety planning approaches by incorporating harm reduction strategies that address both suicidality and substance use in a developmentally appropriate and non-stigmatizing manner.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.

The June 2025 OCUSP meeting is cancelled due to falling on the Juneteenth holiday. See you in July!

A virtual OCUSP meeting. Members and guests are invited to attend.