LSU School of Social Work Announces Partnership to Develop the National Suicidology Training Center

11/07/2018
BATON ROUGE – The LSU School of Social Work in partnership with the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center Inc., or BRCIC, is pleased to announce the establishment of the LSU School of Social Work Training Center to develop resources and training for suicide prevention, intervention, postvention, and other training, for on-going social work education for the establishment of a new program, the National Suicidology Training Center, or NSTC. This leading-edge collaboration will provide trainees with access to internationally known content experts in a limited-participant setting to maximize learning experiences.

“I am pleased to begin this collaboration which will allow us to utilize the expertise of the LSU School of Social Work faculty and staff, and the BRCIC training staff to develop this training center. Part of our mission will be assisting BRCIC to launch the National Suicidology Training Center. This is one of the first collaborations between a crisis center and a school of social work to develop a national suicidology training center,” said Wesley T. Church, Ph.D., L.M.S.W. and the director of the LSU School of Social Work.

Training events will focus on critical topics such as professional training, innovative suicide intervention approaches, treatment and ongoing social work development. The training centers will provide and attract national and international instructors who are leaders in their fields.

“I could not be prouder of this collaboration. I have served as executive director of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center Inc., which has a nearly five-decade history of developing intellectual property and an international reputation for innovation in all areas of suicidology,” said Frank R. Campbell, Ph.D., LCSW, C.T. who will serve as chair of the NSTC steering committee. Campbell is also an LSU School of Social Work alumnus and past president of the American Association of Suicidology.

The training centers will be rooted in excellence for which the LSU School of Social Work and Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center Inc. are known for in the community, state and beyond. With so many of the same strong core values for each of the partners, the quality education and training will be developing students and professionals for years to come. 

“I believe this will be great opportunity for students and faculty to work with a nationally renowned expert as well as have a dedicated site for training and research purposes,” said Church.

For the Media

Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Reporting on Suicide guidelines for more information.

About the LSU School of Social Work

The LSU School of Social Work aspires to be a leading school of social work, a vibrant center of intellectual development, a leader in promoting and supporting diverse communities, and an advocate for an integrated and inclusive model of social work, all within a learning environment that supports best educational practices. The LSU School of Social Work offers Child and Family Studies and Bachelor of Social Work undergraduate degrees, Master of Social Work, online Master of Social Work, and PhD. The school is part of the College of Human Sciences & Education. Visit the School of Social Work at http://lsu.edu/chse/socialwork.

About BRCIC

Through prevention, intervention, and postvention services, the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, Inc. has worked for 48 years to reduce emotional distress, raise hope, save lives and save the community money through the utilization of crisis intervention services and traumatic loss services. BRCIC began in 1970 as THE PHONE – a 24-hour confidential telephone crisis counseling service, at LSU. Over the years, this project developed into a nationally certified Crisis Intervention Center and has expanded to comprise all facets of traumatic loss, and focuses on one of the most traumatic, suicide. Its mission is to offer prevention, intervention and postvention training that provide support in times of crisis and reduce the impact of suicide in any community. This mission will be accomplished through innovative training in less traditional helping settings, utilization of paraprofessional volunteers and content experts, which will be key to this success.

 

 

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Contact Mary P. Woods
College of Human Sciences & Education
225-578-6796
mpwoods@lsu.edu 

or

Rachel Holland
LSU Division of Strategic Communications
225-578-3869
rachelsp@lsu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

More news and information can be found on LSU’s media center, www.lsu.edu/mediacenter