Crisis Response, Suicidality, Trauma Assessment, and Mandated Reporting

In this lecture for counseling students and early-career clinicians, we cover the core skills every mental health professional needs when crisis hits the room. You’ll learn how to respond when a client is in immediate distress, assess for suicidality, conduct trauma-informed assessments, and navigate mandated reporting laws with care and clarity. This isn’t just theory—we’ll walk through language to use, steps to take, and what presence looks like when someone is unraveling in front of you. We also talk about the emotional toll this work can take, and how to care for yourself when you’re carrying heavy things. Whether you're still in training or already in the field, this lecture offers tools, real talk, and encouragement for doing this work with both skill and heart. Mentioned resources include: • Stanley & Brown Safety Planning Model • SAFE-T & C-SSRS suicide risk assessment tools • SAMHSA guidelines for crisis response and mandated reporting • ACE Questionnaire & interoception prompts • Art-based and creative self-care strategies for therapists If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or visit FindSupport.gov