Preventing alcohol or drug abuse can be critical to preventing suicide, primarily because of the chemical and structural brain changes caused by substance abuse. These sorts of brain changes interrupt neural networks responsible for judgment, memory, emotion, logical thinking – the very areas of the brain a person needs in order to “think straight.”

The following is a shout-out for SAMHSA’s new Suicide Prevention Training Video for Substance Abuse Treatment Providers. While this 75-minute video is for substance abuse treatment providers, it can also be an important resource for family members and friends who have a loved one with a substance abuse problem who is expressing suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Suicide is the leading cause of death among people who abuse alcohol and drugs, making suicide risk a problem that every frontline substance abuse counselor must be able to address. In collaboration with SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a training video as a companion piece for SAMHSA’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 50: Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment.

A moderator and three panel members discuss ways to manage and address suicidal thoughts and behaviors among individuals with substance abuse issues. Actors portray case scenarios that the panelists discuss. Although the video is designed for VA settings, the content is applicable to all treatment settings.

This 75-minute video depicts and explains appropriate counseling methods, administrative support, and clinical supervision for substance abuse providers treating clients with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Special attention is given to risk factors, warning signs, and follow-up care. The counseling sessions portrayed in the video employ the specific counseling techniques and the four-step process recommended by TIP 50. SAMHSA recommends that the video be used in conjunction with TIP 50.

View the Video | Order TIP 50

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Lisa Frederiksen

Author | Speaker | Consultant | Founder at BreakingTheCycles.com

Lisa Frederiksen is the author of hundreds of articles and 12 books, including her latest, "10th Anniversary Edition If You Loved Me, You'd Stop! What you really need to know when your loved one drinks too much,” and "Loved One In Treatment? Now What!” She is a national keynote speaker with over 30 years speaking experience, consultant and founder of BreakingTheCycles.com. Lisa has spent the last 19+ years studying and simplifying breakthrough research on the brain, substance use and other mental health disorders, secondhand drinking, toxic stress, trauma/ACEs and related topics.

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