Thanatology, Suicidology and Postvention Graduate Certificate

Geared for licensed professional counselors and others who work in the counseling industry (social workers, coaches) or as part of interprofessional healthcare teams, the certificate in suicidology and postvention (grief support after suicide) prepares students to expand their knowledge and skills base to include the specialized area of suicidology. This content is not typically covered in depth in degree programs preparing people for licensure as counselors or therapists. Going beyond the biomedical illness model of suicide in which suicide is considered a symptom of psychiatric illness, the certificate educates students about evidence-based theory, treatments, and intervention. This certificate does not offer certification. 

Learning Objectives:

• Discern, reflect upon, and evaluate student’s own relationship with death and grief, both as an individual and a member of society
• Compare and contrast theoretical models of the cause of suicide
• Examine current research and literature on suicide among adults (prevention, assessment, intervention, post-intervention, postvention, special populations, ethnic/cultural groups, and global context)
• Evaluate evidence-based approaches to assessment, clinical intervention, treatment models, and safety planning for adults, children, and teens
• Examine approaches to grief support after suicide