Listening for Life: Motivational Interviewing for Suicide Crisis Support (Recorded)

***NOTICE: This course will be available through June 30, 2025. Enrollment for this course will close on Monday, June 23 at 11:59 p.m. ET. If you would like to sign up for this course, please sign up by this time. For those who enroll by 6/23 at 11:59 p.m. ET, access to the course, its materials, and certificates will remain open until 6/30/25 at 11:59 p.m. ET and will no longer be available after that deadline. Future enrollment for this course will be moving to a new enrollment management system in July 2025.***

Fee: $0

Content Level: Beginner

Registration Deadline: Monday, June 23, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EDT

Development Date: January 2024

Target Audience: 988 call line staff and other human services professionals

Format and Delivery Method: This training is constructed as a non-interactive, recorded video-based asynchronous distance learning course. 

Course Description 

This course provides helpline workers with foundational skills in Motivational Interviewing (MI) to support individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. Participants will explore how MI principles can be applied to foster hope, strengthen a person's intrinsic motivation for change and navigate ambivalence about living. Through a mix of didactic instruction, role-plays and practical exercises, the course helps attendees build confidence in using MI techniques to engage callers effectively, honor their autonomy and guide them toward life-affirming decisions.

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, participants will be able to: 

• Describe the core principles of Motivational Interviewing and explain their relevance to suicide prevention conversations. 
• Identify and respond to "change talk" and "sustain talk" in the context of ambivalence about living. 
• Demonstrate key MI skills, including open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summarizations (OARS) to engage callers struggling with suicidal ideation in a compassionate and supportive manner. 

Course Outline

Asynchonous time determined based on original event held via live webinar. Adapted to be self-paced. Video length is 2:45:42 and covers:

• Discuss relevance of MI for suicide work
• Overview of MI principles
  • Introduction to core MI principles (OARs, spirit of MI)
  • Emphasis on collaboration, autonomy and evoking hope
• Understanding change talk in suicide work
  • Define "change talk" and its importance
  • Recognize sustain talk vs. change talk with examples in crisis settings
• Practical skills: Using MI strategies
  • Practice using open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections and summaries (OARS) with suicidal callers
  • Roleplays with brief feedback
• Handling ambivalence and evoking hope
  • Strategies for addressing ambivalence about life
  • How to evoke hope and strengths during a crisis call
• Case scenario practice

Course Completion Requirements

• Participants must submit a pre-course survey, complete all coursework requirements, and pass the course post-test with a score of at least 80%. Unlimited attempts are allowed.
• The post-course evaluation survey will be immediately available once the required coursework and post-test are finished, and the evaluation must be completed to receive CE credit.
• The CE certificate will be available for download once the evaluation is submitted.

Developed by Jimmy Portner, LISW-S, LICDC-CS

Community Lecturer at The Ohio State University

Jimmy Portner, LISW-S, LICDC-CS, has been a social worker in mental health and substance use for 20 years, focusing on advancing evidence-based practices. He is accomplished in Motivational Interviewing (MI), clinical settings, teaching and research, bringing over a decade of leadership experience in the national MI VA program. A member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, Portner has extensive expertise in the core components of MI, fidelity assessment and effective delivery methods. Portner is also a certified trainer and provider of Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT), a treatment targeting emotional overcontrol. Since 2014, he has practiced and taught RO-DBT, specializing in its application to complex, treatment-resistant cases. For over a decade, Portner has been a community lecturer at The Ohio State University College of Social Work. His professional interests include the intersection of culture and mental health, social signaling and innovative approaches to challenging conditions. Outside of work, Portner enjoys time with his wife, a fellow social worker, and their two children. He is dedicated to fostering connection and understanding, balancing leadership and mentoring with his passion for supporting the next generation of social workers. 

Continuing Education Approvals 

• This course is approved for 3 CE hours for Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists, as well as Prevention Professionals in domain PR1 (renewals only) and Substance Use Counselors in domain TR1 (renewals only) in the state of Ohio.

Approval Statements

This training is approved by The Ohio State University College of Social Work and accepted by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board.

The Ohio State University College of Social Work has been approved by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals (CDP) Board as a provider of Continuing Education, approval number: 50-24068.

Certificates & CE Reporting

The CE certificate will be available for download in the ScarletCanvas-Catalog Learning Platform once the evaluation survey is submitted. Participants will also receive an automated email from ScarletCanvas-Catalog at notifications@instructure.com containing a link to download the certificate within 24-hours of completion. Ensure you have this email address marked as a safe sender to receive communications from ScarletCanvas-Catalog.

Hours for those with Ohio licenses that are submitted with the evaluation survey will be reported to CE Broker every 14 days (twice per month).

Please note: You may only complete this course ONE time for CE credit. You are welcome to access a course again to revisit content while it is open, but you will only receive one certificate and credit for Ohio licensees will only be reported to CE Broker one time for your completion of this particular course.

Cancellations, Refunds, Grievances, Accessibility Requests & Learning Accommodations

Please visit the Policies section of our website for more information on our processes for cancellations, refunds, grievances, course completions & certificates, participant conduct, and accessibility requests and learning accommodations.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you require an accommodation to participate in this course, please contact CSW Accessibility as early as possible and in advance of the training start date by email at csw-accessibility@osu.edu or call 614-688-1657. Requests received at least 14-days prior to the date you plan to begin a course will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the College will make every effort to meet requests that we receive regardless of lead time.

Questions, Concerns, or Feedback? Contact Us!

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about the course content or delivery format, please contact the CSW Office of Continuing Education at cswce@osu.edu. For questions related to the course content, our office will facilitate communication with the course instructor on your behalf and connect you, if applicable. Presenter contact information will be provided within the course for questions, feedback, or comments.

The Ohio State University, College of Social Work, Office of Continuing Education, 302 Stillman Hall, 1947 College Road, Columbus, OH, 43210. Phone: (614) 292-3032 Email: cswce@osu.edu Website: csw.osu.edu/continuing-education/   

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