NAMI Ask the Expert: Suicide Prevention Session 3: Creative Approaches to Suicide Prevention OD016

An on-demand video and transcript of the presentation are available here [opens in new tab].

About The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They are an alliance of more than 650 local Affiliates and 49 State organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education to people with mental illness and their loved ones. Through awareness, advocacy and education, NAMI is committed to building stronger communities and a better future for everyone affected by mental illness.

Course Summary

Practice Level: Intermediate

This course, the final installment in a 3-part series based on the Ask the Expert webinar by NAMI, explores innovative and creative approaches to suicide prevention through lived experience and community-based initiatives. Panelists share personal journeys and describe the use of expressive arts, community baking projects, and peer leadership as tools to foster hope, reduce stigma, and create meaningful connections. Designed for social workers, psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and other helping professionals, the course highlights both clinical and non-clinical strategies that expand the traditional suicide prevention toolkit.

The course, with an intended audience of social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors, then presents clinical and non-clinical strategies that expand the traditional suicide prevention toolkit.

Course Format

This course contains a participant guide, practice test, and on-demand video (with a slide deck of the presentation). When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify creative and peer-driven approaches used to support individuals experiencing suicidal ideation.
2. Describe how expressive arts, community projects, and storytelling can foster resilience and reduce stigma related to suicide.
3. Explain the role of purpose, communication, and community in suicide prevention efforts.

Course Syllabus

• Introduction to Creative Suicide Prevention
• Expressive Arts and Peer Support
• Community-Based Initiatives
• Creativity, Purpose, and Identity in Peer Leadership
• Evidence-Based Treatments and Creative Complements

Current References

Bowersox, N. W., Jagusch, J., Garlick, J., Chen, J. I., & Pfeiffer, P. N. (2021). Peer‐based interventions targeting suicide prevention: A scoping review. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68(1-2), 232–248. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12510[opens in a new tab]

Davico, C., Rossi Ghiglione, A., Lonardelli, E., Di Franco, F., Ricci, F., Marcotulli, D., Graziano, F., Begotti, T., Amianto, F., Calandri, E., Tirocchi, S., Carlotti, E. G., Lenzi, M., Vitiello, B., Mazza, M., & Caroppo, E.  (2022). Performing arts in suicide prevention strategies: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), 14948. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214948[opens in a new tab]

Devlin, E. (2022). Expressive therapies and suicidality in youth [Capstone thesis, Lesley University]. DigitalCommons@Lesley. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/645/[opens in new tab]

Hass-Cohen, N., Bokoch, R., Strouse, S., Medina, M., Colon, J., & Mims, C. (2025). Studio art therapy postventions for long-term suicide loss survivors: A phenomenological study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 92, 102247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2024.102247[opens in new tab]

Jha, S., Jewer, S., Agyapong, V. I., & Orji, R. (2025). Can your smartphone save a life? A systematic review of mobile-based interventions for suicide prevention. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 41(1), 723–741. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2323274[opens in new tab]

Kingi-Uluave, D., Taufa, N., Tuesday, R., Cargo, T., Stasiak, K., Merry, S., & Hetrick, S. (2025). A review of systematic reviews: Gatekeeper training for suicide prevention with a focus on effectiveness and findings. Archives of Suicide Research, 29(2), 329–346. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2024.2358411[opens in new tab]

Parkhurst, J. T., Burnside, A., Ros, A., Ellis, J., Fawcett, A., Sirota, S., Helseth, S., & Ballard, R. (2025). Suicide prevention training in pediatric primary care: A scoping review. Academic Pediatrics, 25(4), 102790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2025.102790[opens in new tab]

Reid, C. (2023). Preventing military suicide through dance/movement therapy: A literature review [Master’s thesis, Lesley University]. DigitalCommons@Lesley. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/749[opens in new tab] 

Trachik, B., Merrill, J. C., Pardue-Bourgeois, S., Ganulin, M. L., Crouch, C. L., Fawver, B., Kearns, N. T., Reddy, M. K., Novosel-Lingat, J. E., Osgood, J. M., Dretsch, M. N., & Knust, S. K. (2025). The ask, care, escort suite of trainings: Initial evaluation of the Army’s primary suicide prevention strategy. Psychological Services. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000955[opens in new tab]

Instructors

Ken Duckworth, M.D.

Ken Duckworth’s journey into psychiatry started when he was a boy growing up with a dad who experienced severe bipolar disorder. His father was loving, kind and periodically quite ill, hospitalized for months at a time. Ken became a psychiatrist in part to help his father. He is very fortunate to serve as the Chief Medical Officer for NAMI and to be part of this remarkable community.

Ken recently authored NAMI’s first book, “You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health―With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families.” Written with authority and compassion, this is the essential resource for individuals and families seeking expert guidance on diagnosis, treatment and recovery, featuring inspiring, true stories from real people in their own words.

Ken is double-board certified in adult and child/adolescent psychiatry and has completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship.

Janet Berkowitz, Certified Peer Specialist

Janet Berkowitz is a multi-faceted educator, performer and artist who has shared her talents for over 40 years, following her passion for psychology and the arts. Having had lived experience with suicidal ideation, she specializes in suicide prevention using creative arts and interactive exercises. She serves on the NJ Adult Suicide Prevention Committee and the Stakeholders 988 Committee. Janet has completed the Consumer Connections C.O.R.E. training for peers and is a certified WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) facilitator. She teaches it in the form of scrapbooking, calling it WRAPscrap. She teaches Trauma Informed Care, Anger Management and Mental Health Care tools throughout New Jersey. She is a member of MHA’s Mental Health Players who sponsor a play she has written, produced and stars in on suicide awareness and bullying called ‘The Wizard of Iz’.

Sascha Biesi

Sascha Biesi is co-founder and executive chef of Skull & Cakebones, the Texas Hill Country’s only vegan craft bakery and market. As proud as she is of her work as a baker over the last decade, Sascha is most proud of her mental health activism. Raising awareness of mental health concerns by sharing her own story and through her work with NAMI and the Depressed Cake Shop are her true passions. Like Dean Koonz said, “Where there is cake, there is hope. And there is always cake.”

Nicholas Emeigh

Nicholas Emeigh, also known as “NAMI-Man” is a mental health advocate and public speaker with five years of continuous recovery from mental illness and substance use, and he is a survivor of three suicide attempts. He proudly serves the community as Director of Outreach and Development for NAMI Bucks County PA providing help, hope, awareness and opportunities to Bucks County’s 640,000 residents. He speaks often at conferences, schools and institutions of medicine and higher learning on the power of peer support, his own journey and what he is doing now to help shatter the stigma so that no one feels alone on their journey to recovery.

Nicole Errickson, LCSW

Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Georgia. She brings over 19 years experience in the social work field, primarily working in school systems as a school social worker and with the McKinney-Vento grant. Over her career, Nicole has had several opportunities to help develop and execute professional development events. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an 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: 8/8/24-8/8/27.

Social workers completing this course receive 1 general continuing education credits.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.