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Webinar: Suicide Precautions and Prevention (Two Sessions)
National Suicide Prevention Month Webinars
Part 1: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 1:00PM-2:15PM CST
Part 2: Friday, September 26, 2025 at 1:00PM-2:15PM CST
Overreliance on restrictive suicide precautions in correctional settings has become a hidden crisis—one that can cause more harm than it prevents. Too often, these extreme measures are used for individuals who are not at genuine risk, creating conditions more severe than disciplinary segregation, deterring disclosure of suicidal thoughts, and sparking constitutional challenges.
This session unpacks the research on risk, protective, and environmental factors that drive self-harm in custody, along with the legal and operational implications of current practices. Evidence-based behavioral health interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing, will be presented as more humane, effective alternatives that promote safety and treatment engagement.
Through real-world case examples, attendees will explore the core components of a comprehensive suicide prevention program that safeguards lives while reducing unnecessary harm—transforming prevention from a purely security-driven response to one rooted in care, dignity, and results.
$89 ($79 for CCHPs), includes access to the power point presentation, the webinar recording and CE credit. 2.5 hours of CE for ACCME, ANCC, APA, and General (CCHP and others). Must attend both parts to claim credit.
Presenters:
Joel T. Andrade, PhD, LICSW, MSW, CCHP-MH holds a PhD and MSW from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work with a concentration in forensics. He has worked in correctional and forensic mental health since 1997. He has presented and published journal articles and book chapters on numerous correctional health care topics including psychopathy, violence risk assessment, self-injurious behavior, suicide prevention and intervention, designing alternatives to segregation units for correctional systems, and gender dysphoria. Dr. Andrade is also the editor of The Handbook of Violence Risk Assessment: New Approaches for Mental Health Professionals.
Benjamin Rice, JD is a Senior Expert for Falcon, LLC and the Founder of BTR Consulting, LLC. He is an attorney who works primarily as a correctional consultant, using his 20 years of experience in the field. Mr. Rice worked on behalf of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) as a Deputy Attorney General. In recognition of his outstanding work, he was asked to join the Governor’s Office of California as Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary over public safety. He was later appointed general counsel of CDCR where he was responsible for roughly 20 class action cases. Following eight years in that role, Mr. Rice was recruited by a large private health care company to become its chief counsel. As a consultant and expert, Mr. Rice helps sheriffs enhance jail operations and meet class action mandates. Mr. Rice holds a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Los Angeles.