Description of the CASE Approach: The CASE Approach is an evidence-based, easily learned interviewing strategy for uncovering suicidal ideation, planning, behaviors, and intent. Innovative techniques from the field of clinical interviewing known as Validity Techniques are flexibly interwoven to increase validity, decrease errors of omission, and increase the client’s sense of safety when sharing suicidal thought. These attributes allow the social worker to flexibly adapt their interviewing style to meet the unique needs of each client while sensitively uncovering a client’s potentially hidden method of choice for suicide (MOC), extent of actions taken using their MOC, and immediate intentions to use the MOC to proceed with suicide in clients at immediate risk (next 24 hours) or imminent risk (next seven days). Unlike semi-structured formats, clinicians never use cue sheets - nor record information - while asking the questions used in the CASE Approach allowing the social worker to provide 100% of their attention to engaging the client and looking for nonverbal indicators of withheld secrets - secrets that can sometimes prove to be of life-saving importance.

Description of the Course: This Advanced Core-Skills course includes the entire Basic Core-Skills Course and adds an extensive Bonus Module focusing upon the use of the CASE Approach with clients at particularly high risk. Over the course of ten teaching

modules, Dr. Shea - who is the creator of the CASE Approach - intermixes his trade-mark dynamic writing to initially introduce the techniques and strategies of the CASE Approach with video didactics that allow him to highlight nuances of client presentation and interviewer technique. He then proceeds to demonstrate the techniques and strategies of the CASE Approach with compelling unscripted interview video demonstrations of the CASE Approach. To enhance consolidation of the interviewing skills, each module ends with thought-provoking questions that push the participant to better understand the nuanced application of the CASE Approach, and, subsequently, gain insights from Dr. Shea’s own answers to the questions.

Type of Course: A self-paced, hybrid asynchronous reading and video distance training 
with 12.5 CE credits. Course recently updated February 15, 2025.

Who Should Take the Course: Social workers at beginner, intermediate, and 
advanced levels.



Endorsements from Experts 
in the Field of Suicidology

“The accompanying videos are the most amazing teaching videos I’ve ever seen - they include mini-lectures and wondrously realistic role-plays (which invite you into the mind of a master) and speak directly to the content in the text.”

                                              Jonathan Singer, PhD, LCSW 

                                              Professor, Loyola University School of Social Work                        
                                              Founder and Host of the Social Work Podcast


“I have never seen such great teaching videos on eliciting suicidal ideation. They are a treasure, and I believe that many lives will be saved by those lucky enough 
to view them.”

                                              Jan Fawcett, MD, 

                                              Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico

                                              Recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from                                   
                                              both the American Association of                                                                                                                     Suicidology and of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention


“I believe that the CASE Approach is a remarkable conceptual and clinical contribution to the field of suicidology. It should be routinely taught to any 
front-line clinician. It has the power to meaningfully save lives.”

                                              David A. Jobes, PhD 
                                              Creator of The CAMS Framework
                                              Author, Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach, 3rd Ed.
                                                  from his Preface to Dr. Shea’s book
                                                  The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment


Instructor’s Bio:

Shawn Christopher Shea, M.D., is the Director of the Training Institute for Suicide Assessment and Clinical Interviewing (TISA) and is the author of eight books and numerous articles in the fields of suicide assessment and clinical interviewing. Having given over 850 workshops worldwide, his prestigious presentations range from the “Mayo Clinic: John A. Graf Visiting Professor Lecture” to the “Bryn Mawr College Anita D. Lichenstein Memorial Guest Lecture, Graduate School of Social Work”. He is popular for his provocative, fast-paced presentations laced with a wicked sense of humor and has been a featured presenter at twenty-two Annual Meetings of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). His text Psychiatric Interviewing: The Art of Understanding, 3rd Edition was chosen by the British Medical Association as the 2017 Book of the Year in Psychiatry. And his book, The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment is viewed as a classic in the field of suicide prevention.



Learning Objectives:

1. Be able to utilize the four chronological regions of the CASE Approach to uncover hidden suicidal ideation, actions, and intent.

2. Be able to describe the principles of the “Equation of Suicidal Intent” and integrate its principles when uncovering suicidal ideation.

3. Be able to recognize and explain the use of the seven Validity Techniques of the CASE Approach.

4. Be able to define and integrate the use of a ‘Verbal Video’ into your clinical practice to uncover a client’s extent of suicidal planning and actions.

5. Be able to describe the importance of persistently and sensitively hunting for a client’s method of choice (MOC) for suicide and how to do so in the interview. 

6. Be able to flexibly integrate the CASE Approach into everyday practice as determined by the uniqueness of the client’s psychological needs and the demands of the clinical setting.

7. Be able to utilize and adapt the CASE Approach to uncover withheld suicidal ideation in clients at particularly high risk.



Course Outline

  • Module 1: Mastering the CASE Approach: Introduction Video

    Brief introduction on how to maximize both ease of navigation and enjoyment of the online course.

  • Module 2: Validity Techniques: Simple Tools for Uncovering Complex Secrets

    The seven Validity Techniques utilized in the CASE Approach are delineated and then demonstrated via video (Normalization, Shame Attenuation, Behavioral Incident, Gentle Assumption, Denial of the Specific, Catch-All Question, and Symptom Amplification).

  • Module 3: Challenges in Uncovering Suicidal Ideation

    The real-life challenges to uncovering the truth about a high-risk client’s suicidal ideation and intent - in today’s hectic and down-staffed clinical settings - are discussed and the solutions offered to these challenges by the CASE Approach.

  • Module 4: Clinical Context of the CASE Approach

    The role of the CASE Approach - the art of eliciting suicidal ideation, planning, the client’s method of choice (MOC) actions taken, and intent - as delineated from important aspects of a suicide assessment such as risk factors, warning signs, protective factors, and the clinical formulation of risk are explored.

  • Module 5: The Conversational Macrostructure of the CASE Approach

    The four chronological regions which the social worker will explore when using the CASE Approach are delineated: Presenting Suicide Events, Recent Suicide Events, Past Suicide Events, and Immediate Suicide Events.

  • Module 6: Demonstration of the CASE Approach: How to Explore the Region of the Presenting (Suicide) Events

    How to explore the client’s first described method of suicide - when asked about suicidal ideation - by delicately interweaving specific Validity Techniques in a conversational fashion are described (subsequently demonstrated via video).

  • Module 7: Demonstration of the CASE Approach: How to Explore the Region of Recent (Suicide) Events

    How to explore the client’s suicidal ideation, plans and actions taken during the previous two months in search of a withheld MOC - by delicately interweaving specific Validity Techniques in a conversational fashion (subsequently demonstrated via video).

  • Module 8: Demonstration of the CASE Approach: How to Explore the Region of Past (Suicide) Events

    Strategies for effectively uncovering past suicide attempts that may shed light on current suicide risk are described and then demonstrated via video.

  • Module 9: Demonstration of the CASE Approach: How to Explore the Region of Immediate (Suicide) Events

    Strategies for sensitively helping clients to share new suicidal thoughts, urges, and intent that arise during the interview itself - such as hopelessness and immediate urges to proceed with suicide - are described and then demonstrated via video.


  • Module 10: Effectively Utilizing the CASE Approach with Clients at High Risk

    Particular challenges that arise with clients who have strong intent to kill themselves are examined in detail, with an emphasis on how the social worker can use the CASE Approach to avoid a tragedy (all techniques demonstrated by video).

  • Module 11: Post-test

    Post-test
    Supplemental course handouts

  • Module 12: Course Evaluation

    Participant Course Evaluation
    Awarding of CE Certificate

The highlight of this CASE Approach: Advanced Core-Skills Course (Deluxe Package) with Social Work CE - Hybrid: Reading & Video Course is the addition of an extensive module on utilizing the CASE Approach with particularly high-risk clients. This module provides some of the best illustrations of Dr. Shea interviewing ever captured on video. It provides the student with an insider’s look at the unique capabilities of the CASE Approach to help clients to share initially withheld, critically important suicidal ideation, planning, and intent.

In addition, in this course (which includes all of the CASE Approach: Basic Core-Skills Course as part of the package), the annotated answers at the end of each of the nine modules of the Basic Core-Skills Course are greatly expanded being designed to more powerfully consolidate the student’s ability to immediately transfer the sophisticated techniques of the CASE Approach into their frontline clinical care.

The expanded annotated answers - found only in this CASE Approach: Advanced Core-Skills Course (Deluxe Package) with Social Work CE - Hybrid: Reading & Video Course - delineate new material not thoroughly discussed in the stand-alone CASE Approach: Basic Core-Skills Course. They engagingly delineate how the clinicians can use the CASE Approach to effectively uncover information useful in utilizing valuable emerging suicide assessment concepts such as ‘acquired capability’, ‘desensitization’, ‘entrapment’, and in exploring high-risk psychological states such as the ‘Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance’ and the ‘Suicide Crisis Syndrome’.


To register for and purchase your CE course you must click on the Purchase button for the course you have chosen, which will take you to a registration page. You will then be prompted to "Create a New Account" which is where you set up your own personal password protected account for course participation.  You will next be directed to a payment page where you will finalize your purchase. Once these tasks are completed the course materials will be immediately available for use. 

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Web browser: The most updated version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge
Internet connection: A broadband connection with a minimum speed of 5 Mbps
JavaScript: JavaScript must be enabled
PDF plugin: A PDF plugin must be installed
Graphic and audio output: Your device must be able to output graphics and audio


OUR CE PROGRAM IS NATIONALLY ACCREDITED BY:
Training Institute for Suicide Assessment & Clinical Interviewing, Inc. (TISA) provider #xxxx, is approved as ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: xx/xx/xxxx - xx/xx/xxxx. Social workers completing this course receive 12.5 clinical continuing education credits.


COURSE COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS:
To earn CE credit, social workers and mental health clinicians must complete all course modules in their entirety and complete both the online post-test and course evaluation. Upon completion of the final course module, you will be immediately prompted to complete the post-test and then the course evaluation. Once you receive a passing score of 80% or above (you will have an unlimited number of attempts to take the post-test), you will be prompted to complete the course evaluation. Participants must complete both the post-test and the course evaluation in order to receive credit. A CE certificate (12.5 CEs) will appear within your account which can be downloaded from the course website. In addition, you will receive an email congratulations message which will also include a link to your CE certificate.


GRIEVANCE POLICY GUIDELINES

The Training Institute for Suicide Assessment & Clinical Interviewing (TISA) is committed to providing high-quality continuing education (CE) experiences.  Our grievance policy outlines how course participants can voice concerns and grievances.  We encourage open communication to resolve issues promptly and to improve our CE programs for future participants.


DIFFICULTY WITH ACCESS TO CERTIFICATES:
Please contact Susan Shea at TISA: [email protected] if you have any difficulties with retrieving your certificate and she will respond and assist within 24 hours via email.

Certificates are available on the course website immediately upon successful passing of the course post-test and full completion of the course evaluation form.  The button to find the certificate will appear at the top of the left side course menu. Certificates may be downloaded as a pdf and may also be printed.  A link to the certificate is also provided in the automatic thank you email which is generated to the participant’s inbox at the moment that the software recognizes completion and submission of the evaluation form. 

REFUNDS:
Please reach out to Susan Shea, at TISA: [email protected] with any inquiries about refunds.   TISA typically does not issue refunds for On-Demand (Asynchronous) online courses due to the fact that once purchased, the participant has access immediately to all materials. But we are invested in open communication and reasonable requests for refund will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

REPORTING OF OTHER GRIEVANCES:

If at any time a concern arises about course content, level of presentation, the instructor, or other miscellaneous occurrences, please reach out to us at TISA. All formal complaints must be submitted in writing either via email to TISA at [email protected] or via regular mail to Susan Shea, Co-Director, Training Institute for Suicide Assessment & Clinical Interviewing, Inc., PO Box 1498  New London, NH 03257.  Upon receipt they will be shared with our social work consultant. You will receive a written acknowledgement of your complaint within 5 business days of its receipt.  

Complaints regarding an instructor may be sent anonymously via regular mail.

All complaints will be reviewed by the TISA Social Work Consultant, and the directors of TISA.  TISA has great respect for the guidance of the Social Work Consultant and will rely on such guidance to formulate the remedy.

The participant will receive a written response to their complaint within thirty (30) days of the complaint’s receipt.  Remedies may include reassignment to another course, credit for a future course, or a partial or full refund at the review teams’ discretion.

If the participant is not satisfied with TISA’s decision, they may report the grievance to the accrediting CE entity, or to their licensing board.  However, this action will not alter the initial decision.

Feedback from complaints will be used to enhance future training programs.


ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED:
This online course is delivered in a manner that is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact TISA at [email protected] if special accommodation is required.


QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS:
For questions, concerns, or to request accommodations, 
please email [email protected]  or call 603-877-8332 


*TISA is an assumed legal name (a DBA) of the Training Institute for Suicide Assessment & Clinical Interviewing, Inc.


[The ACE logo will appear here if we get approved as providers]

For Information on CE Course #1


FAQs

  • Can the CASE Approach be used in teletherapy?

    Absolutely. It is perfectly designed for teletherapy, meeting a great need in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, it is also very effective for telephone interventions as is often seen with suicide prevention crisis lines.

  • Our organization is implementing a Zero Suicide Approach. Will training in the CASE Approach meet our needs?

    The CASE Approach resonates nicely with the Zero Suicide Initiative as reflected by various trainings on the CASE Approach - provided by Dr. Shea - having been listed on the Zero Suicide’s Care Training Options List for years.

  • Does this course provide CEs or CMEs?

    TISA is an accredited provider of ASWB ACE Social Work CEs in the United States and Canada. Note, participants should check directly with their own local regulatory board to see if they accept ACE CEs. CEs will only be granted to those purchasing the CE version of our course.

    TISA does not provide CEs for other mental health disciplines and does not provide CNEs or CMEs.

  • For what age groups is the CASE Approach designed?

    The CASE Approach is specifically designed for use with adolescents and adults of all ages. It is not designed nor recommended for use with children.

    On the other hand, the validity techniques utilized in the CASE Approach (as are well-described in both courses) are excellent for use with the parents of children to uncover secrets such as child abuse and neglect, problematic alcohol and/or substance use, or other parental behaviors that can damage children or thwart therapy.

  • In what clinical settings is the CASE Approach of use?

    The CASE Approach is used in essentially all clinical settings including community mental health centers, inpatient units, university counseling centers, high schools, private practices, correctional facilities, military bases and VAs, Native American counseling centers, emergency departments, telephone crisis centers, and primary care clinics and general hospitals.

  • Can the CASE Approach be used in differing cultures and populations?

    The CASE Approach has been used across numerous cultures, ethnic groups, races, and sexes including populations - such as the LGBTQI community - that cross all ethnicities and races.

If you are in crisis, you can find help at the
Lifeline Chat Room 988lifeline.org or call or text 988.