WPS: Safety Planning with Those at Risk for Suicide: Incorporating Motivational Interviewing Strategies Death by suicide is a major public health concern in the United States. Safety planning interventions focus on helping clients to identify coping strategies and supports that they can access during a crisis. While this remains the best practice intervention, many clients report that they do not use their safety plan in times when it is needed. Motivational Interviewing (Miller and Rollnick) is a conversational style designed to enhance motivation and self-efficacy for behavior change. Enhancing safety planning with MI skills/techniques is one way to build a more robust safety plan and to increase the likelihood that a client will use their safety plan in a time of crisis. This presentation covers the components of a collaborative safety plan and will expose clinicians to core motivational interviewing skills that can be used to enhance client motivation and self-efficacy for safety plan use.
This webinar has been approved by the University of Detroit Mercy, an institution regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which is our partner in the offerings of Continuing Education activities.
Valerie Micol, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist. She received her PhD from the University of Michigan and is now a clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan's Department of Psychiatry where she contributes to research in the area of youth suicide prevention. She works clinically with adolescents with mood and anxiety disorders, chronic suicidal ideation, and self-harm behaviors. more info...
9/18/2026
WPS: Management of Chronic Pain: Resilience Factors and Positive Activity Interventions The remarkable ability of individuals with chronic pain to bounce back and lead remarkably productive and fulfilling lives is often underappreciated. In this session, the data supporting the importance of tapping into our patients’ inherent strengths will be discussed, as well as how to help them thrive despite living with chronic illness. Still, the data are clear that experiencing chronic pain and can have a profound impact on every aspect of life, including mental health. In numerous studies, chronic pain is consistently associated with depression, anxiety, and diminished quality of life. This session will aim to discuss the pain science underlying the relationship between chronic pain and mental health, both risk and resilience. Attendees will gain insight into practical strategies aimed at providing essential emotional support and fostering resilience in patients managing chronic pain. Drawing from evidence-based approaches, this session will equip the mental health professionals with practical tools and techniques necessary to navigate the complex experiences and emotional well-being of people with chronic pain.
Dr. Afton Hassett is a licensed clinical psychologist who is an Associate Professor and the Director of Pain and Opioid Research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. As a principal investigator at the renowned Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center at UM where she conducts interdisciplinary research related to exploring the role of cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors in chronic pain. Dr. Hassett is a leader in the field of resilience and pain with over $35M in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. She has published 130 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. Dr. Hassett is a Past President of the Association of Rheumatology Professionals – a division of the American College of Rheumatology. She is also the author of “Chronic Pain Reset: 30 Days of Activities, Practices and Skills to Help You Thrive,” an innovative pain self-management book for patients and their clinicians. more info...
