Duration1 hour

CostFree

ApprovalsThis activity is approved for the following credit: ACPE CPE, AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, ANCC, ASWB, ACPE and AAPA Category 1 CME.

Quantity1 hour CE

ProviderPitt PERU and UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor

Audience

Open to all community members, Veterans and their families, and practitioners across healthcare, behavioral health, social services, education, first response, and peer support.

Description

This session connects substance use and suicide risk in clear, actionable ways. Participants will review key facts, treatment gaps, including some Veteran-specific considerations, then focus on “what to do next.” Learn to spot early warning signs, reduce stigma in conversation and care, and plan for safety that fits a person’s readiness and resources. We cover warm referral to treatment, coordination with recovery supports, and when to consider lethal-means steps within a broader safety plan. Participants leave with practical tools to act early, improve continuity of care, and support recovery in community and clinical settings.

Outcomes
Participants identify early risk, use stigma-reducing language, plan for safety, and complete warm referrals that connect people to timely SUD and mental health care.

Learning Objectives

• Describe early warning signs, risk factors, and protective factors across settings.
• Recall connections between SUD prevalence, treatment gaps, and links to suicide risk.
• Demonstrate brief, stigma-reducing conversations that invite help-seeking.
• Apply a safety plan that may include lethal-means steps where indicated.
• Coordinate warm referrals and follow-up with treatment and recovery supports.

Register Now

Questions? Contact Chris at 412-383-3926 or chirdon@pitt.edu

Funded by the CDC’s Division of Injury Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov