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Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Define key terms related to suicide risk, including suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and preparatory behaviors.

  • Explain the purpose and limitations of commonly used suicide screening tools such as PHQ-9, SAFE-T, HAM-D, and C-SSRS.

  • Analyze patient responses during suicide risk assessments and formulate appropriate follow-up questions to clarify ambiguous or incomplete answers.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this training is to strengthen providers’ confidence and competence in using suicide risk assessment tools, asking clear and direct questions, and documenting safety assessments in a way that supports accurate clinical decision-making

Description

This session will equip participants with a foundational understanding of key terms related to suicide risk, including suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and preparatory behaviors. Attendees will gain insight into the purpose and limitations of commonly used suicide screening tools such as the PHQ-9, SAFE-T, HAM-D, and C-SSRS, enabling more informed use of these instruments in clinical practice. Additionally, the session will focus on enhancing clinical judgment by teaching participants how to analyze patient responses during suicide risk assessments and formulate effective follow-up questions when faced with ambiguous or incomplete information.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Nurse
  • Physician
  • Physician Assistant
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Kartiki Churi, MD
Dr. Kartiki Churi is a board-certified psychiatrist and Regional Medical Director at FamilyCare Center, where she oversees clinical operations and leads the organization’s initiatives in advanced neuromodulation and education. She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and completed her residency in Psychiatry at the University ofColorado School of Medicine, where she also served as Chief Resident.Dr.Churi specializes in interventional psychiatry, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and esketamine therapy, with a focus on treatment-resistant depression,anxiety disorders, and mood dysregulation. She is deeply involved in clinical training and serves as a key faculty leader for FCC’s APP TMS Boot Camp and psychiatry education programs. Before joining Family Care Center, Dr. Churi held academic appointments within the University of Colorado Department of Psychiatry and worked in both outpatient and consult-liaison psychiatry settings. Her professional interests include evidence-based treatment integration, mentorship of early-career clinicians, and the advancement of interventional psychiatry in community behavioral health systems.
Mireille Reece, PsyD
Dr. Mireille Reece is a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience in neuropsychology, trauma, and performance psychology. She serves as a consulting psychologist and national presenter on topics including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), executive function, trauma-informed care, and brain-based approaches to behavior change. Dr. Reece earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the APA-accredited Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University and completed postdoctoral training in neuropsychology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Reece has held senior clinical and executive leadership roles across multiple healthcare organizations, most recently as Executive and Regional Director forRosewoodCenters for Eating Disorders, overseeing inpatient, residential, and day-treatment programs across Arizona. Previously, she served as Regional Vice President of ClinicalOperations and Director of Clinical Services for Refresh Mental Health, where she led quality improvement and evidence-based clinical standardization across national behavioral health networks. A frequent lecturer and podcast guest, Dr. Reece has presented internationally on the neuroscience of habit formation, adult ADHD, and the psychology of motivation and resilience. She is also co-host ofBrain Science, a podcast exploring the intersection of neuroscience, emotion, and performance. Her clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment, trauma recovery, and the application of neuroscience to enhance well-being and professional performance.
Candice Leimkhueler, MS, LPC
Candice Leimkuhler is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Regional Director at Family Care Center, where she provides executive oversight for clinical operations, program development, and quality initiatives across multiple behavioral health clinics in the South Denver region. She brings over two decades of leadership experience in mental health services, crisis response, and program administration, with expertise in quality improvement, trauma-informed care, and strategic growth of multidisciplinary care teams. Before joining Family Care Center, Ms. Leimkuhler served as Clinical Director atCommunity Reach Center, overseeing more than 90 staff and managing over $13 million in behavioral health program budgets. Her previous leadership included directing crisisservices and emergency response programs, developing suicide prevention and resiliencytraining, and advancing system-wide initiatives in collaboration with the ColoradoBehavioral Healthcare Council and the Office of Suicide Prevention. She holds a Master ofScience in Counseling and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Missouri StateUniversity, and a certificate in Strategic Leadership in Healthcare Management from theUniversity of Denver. Ms. Leimkuhler’s professional focus includes crisis stabilization,organizational leadership, and clinician well-being through her Provider Resiliency Program at Family Care Center.