Suicide Prevention

What Every Primary Care Physician Needs to Know to Prevent Suicide

This podcast series was funded by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, NJ Department of Human Services.

PODCASTS

Podcast 1

Suicide Safer Care Part 1: Screening for Suicide Risk

Description: Universal screening and assessing patients >11 years old for suicide risk

Moderator: Dr. Virna Little, Zero Suicide Institute; Karen Lin, MD

Guest Speaker: Dr. Katie Riewe, Pediatrician

Podcast 2

Suicide Safer Care Part 2: Appropriate Follow-up

Description: Brief interventions, developing safety plans, and making arrangements with behavioral health practices to accept referrals

Moderator: Dr. Virna Little, Zero Suicide Institute; Karen Lin, MD

Guest Speaker: Dr. Katie Riewe, Pediatrician

Podcast 3

Counseling on access to lethal means and safe firearm storage – Part 1

Description: Use of ERPO law and a focus on high-risk groups with access to firearms

Moderator: Karen Lin, MD

Guest Speaker: Dr. Michael Anestis, GVRC

Podcast 4

Counseling on access to lethal means and safe firearm storage – Part 2

Description: Primary care’s role in safe firearm storage

Moderator: Karen Lin, MD

Guest Speaker: Dr. Michael Anestis, GVRC

Podcast 5

What Every Primary Care Physician Needs to Know to Prevent Suicide

Description: Ensuring safe care transitions and transferring patient health information from the primary care office to emergency care and behavioral health information. Includes discussion of referral sources in the NJ Mental Health system and available resources.

Moderator: Karen Lin, MD

Guest Speaker: Michael Higginbotham, LCSW

Podcast 6

Practicing self-care; Wellness and counseling services for nurses, healthcare workers, primary care office staff. 

Description: 

Moderator: Karen Lin, MD

Guest Speaker: Steve Crimando, MA, CTM

FACULTY

Michael D. Anestis, PhD

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NJ Gun Violence Research Center

Mike Anestis received his PhD in clinical psychology from Florida State University, where he studied under Dr. Thomas Joiner. His work focuses on suicide prevention among both civilians and service members, with a particular focus on the role of firearms. He is the author of approximately 150 peer reviewed articles as well as the book Guns and Suicide: An American Epidemic, published by Oxford University Press in 2018. Dr. Anestis was the 2018 recipient of the Edwin Shneidman Award from the American Association of Suicidology in recognition of his early career achievements in suicide research and currently serves on advisory board for a number of organizations, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Jed Foundation.

Steve Crimando, MA, CTM, DRCC

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New Jersey Department of Human Services

Steve Crimando is the Director of Training for the Disaster & Terrorism Branch of the New Jersey Department of Human Services-Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services. He is 30+ year veteran emergency behavioral health clinician and educator.

Steve is a Certified Threat Manager (CTM) with the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, and a Certified Master Trainer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - National Threat Evaluation and Reporting program. He is also a Certified Disaster Response Crisis Counselor (DRCC). Steve was deployed to the 9/11 and 1993 World Trade Center attacks, the Northeast anthrax screening center, and many other disasters and acts of terrorism in New Jersey and across the United States. He is a published author who is frequently called upon as an expert by the courts and the media regarding behavioral threat assessment and management.

Michael Higginbotham, MSW, LCSW

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New Jersey Department of Human Services

Michael Higginbotham is the Manager of Acute Care Services in the Office of Recovery and Treatment Supports for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. In his role, Michael oversees the coordination of primary components of the public acute care mental health system, including Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services, Early Intervention Support Services, Short Term Care Facilities, Involuntary Outpatient Commitment programs, and PACT teams. Michael is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Direct Practice with Children and Families from Rutgers University.

Karen WeiRu Lin, MD

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Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Karen WeiRu Lin, MD, MS, FAAFP, is the Associate Dean of Global Health, Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She is an faculty advisor to medical students: medical Mandarin, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, Global Health Interest Group, Human Rights Initiative, HIPHOP - Promise Clinic, HIPHOP - Asylum Clinic and RWJMS - Student Vaccine Clinic, the medical director for Rutgers Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute for fellows from Sub Sahara Africa. She is one of the Fulbright Specialists in USA. She received 2007 & 2020 Family Physician of the Year of New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians and 2020 National AAFP Physician of the Year award. Dr. Lin is on the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Virna Little

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Concert Health

Dr. Virna Little is currently the Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Concert Health, a national organization providing behavioral health services to primary care providers and the co-founder of Zero Overdose, a not for profit addressing the national crisis of unintentional overdoses. Prior Dr. Little worked for 22 years as a Senior Vice President for a large FQHC network in New York overseeing over 300 behavioral health and community staff and worked for New York City Health and Hospitals as a citywide family violence coordinator. She has a Doctoral degree in Psychology, a Masters in Social Work, a Masters in Business Administration and Healthcare, is a Certified Care Manager(CCM) and a recognized Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).