Impact Report The Wellness Institute In partnership with AFSP

Competence. Confidence. Clarity.

March 10–11, 2026

The 6th Annual Summit on Suicide-Safer Care in Clinical Practice brought 430+ clinicians and advocates together with the creators of the field's leading interventions. Over two days, they transformed the most daunting conversation in clinical care into one that providers now feel ready and equipped to navigate.

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Professionals
registered
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U.S. states
represented
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Countries
represented
18
Expert
faculty
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Accredited
CE credits
“
The Summit is an incredible gathering of experts in the field that provides directly applicable information that can help clinicians be more effective in their work with people struggling with suicide, and can literally save lives.
— Cameron Searle, Office of Mental Health, New York State

Who we convened

Registration drew a multidisciplinary audience of frontline clinicians, program leaders, educators, and advocates from across the United States and four continents.

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Registered clinicians & advocates
across all sessions
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Chose the CE-credit pass—
60% of registrants
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Professional disciplines
represented
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Post-event evaluations
collected & analyzed
0 U.S. states represented +
DC and Puerto Rico
Four continents · eight countries
United StatesCanadaAustraliaNew Zealand SwitzerlandBrazilPanamaPoland
Disciplines represented · all registrations (n = 427)
Social Work (LCSW / MSW)
153
Counseling (LPC·LMHC / LMFT)
85
Psychology (PhD / PsyD)
71
Medicine & Nursing (MD / NP)
4
Other disciplines & advocates
114

What happened over two days

The Summit brought together the leading names in suicide care and showcased their evidence-based interventions.

Day One · March 10

The Clinical Showdown

Comparing the models on real cases
Round 1 · Suicide theories
Joiner vs. Rudd
Thomas Joiner, PhD · David Rudd, PhD
Round 2 · Primary interventions
CT-SP vs. DBT
Kate Comtois, PhD, MPH · Kelly Green, PhD
Round 3 · Brief interventions
ASSIP vs. BCBT vs. CAMS
Anja Gysin-Maillart, PhD · Craig Bryan, PsyD · Raymond Tucker, PhD
Round 4 · Youth interventions
ABFT vs. IPT-A vs. DBT-A
Guy Diamond, PhD · Alec Miller, PsyD · Anat Brunstein-Klomek, PhD · Jonathan Singer, PhD, LCSW
Day Two · March 11

Clinical Considerations & Resources

Bridging the gap between research and practice
Empathy over fear
Joining the Client in the Dark
Stacey Freedenthal, PhD
Co-occurring risk
The Silent Partner: Substance Use
Arwen Podesta, MD
Technology in care
AI, Chatbots & Apps in Clinical Care
John Torous, MD, MBI
Clinician sustainability
Self-Care Is Not a Luxury
Jeffrey Barnett, PsyD, ABPP
Lethal-means counseling
Reframing Firearm Counseling
Emmy Betz, MD, MPH
Practice readiness
Crisis-Ready & In Practice
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD · Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD

How the faculty were received

Eighteen of Suicidology's Foremost Voices Earned Near-Perfect Marks.

99.6%
of attendee responses about faculty evaluations agreed or strongly agreed that presenters knew their subject, taught effectively, and held the room, an average rating of 4.63 / 5.0.
Mean instructor rating · each marker = one of 17 evaluated faculty
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4
5

Every single evaluated faculty member scored between 4.53 and 4.71 across the full two-day program.

The 2026 faculty

What changed for participants

Measurable Gains in Knowledge, Confidence, and Intent.

Enhanced knowledge & understanding
9 in 10 agreed the training significantly enhanced their understanding; nearly half “strongly agreed.”
Greater confidence with high-risk clients
More than 8 in 10 felt more confident working with individuals at elevated risk of suicide.
Intent to pursue further training
9 in 10 plan to learn more about the therapies and modalities covered.
Net Promoter Score
Two-thirds of attendees are active promoters. On average, attendees rated their likelihood to recommend the Summit 8.85 out of 10.
Program objectives met
Across 13 stated learning objectives, 98% confirmed objectives were achieved.
Plan to return next year
81% are “very” or “most” likely to attend the 7th Annual Summit.
What clinicians valued most
Hearing directly from the developers & researchersaccess to the source
96%
Practical application of interventions to case examplestheory made usable
92%
Panel debate of different approaches & methodologiesthe showdown
90%
High-level overviews of the available interventionsthe spectrum of interventions
88%

In their own words

What Participants Told Us.

The Sixth Annual Summit unveiled a new horizon for trainings in the U.S. Rather than sticking to a single theory and single modality, the teaching environment grew vibrant and complex. Participants had choices to make. By learning new ideas, our familiar ideas grew more meaningful.

Suicide-prevention advocate

The presenters were extremely knowledgeable, efficient, and informative. As someone who has dealt with suicide risks professionally and personally, I gained a lot of new and valuable information.

Administrator

Top-notch presenters on the cutting edge of treating suicidal thinking and behavior.

Licensed Counselor & Administrator

This program was amazing, bringing hope to those struggling with suicidal thoughts and loss.

Medical Professional

An essential experience for all clinicians.

Licensed Counselor & Administrator

Real-world experts with real-life practice examples to assist with what many consider very complex issues.

Social Worker

A unique and creative approach exposing therapists to the various models and theoretical approaches. I loved the case discussion, which made the information more accessible.

Marriage & Family Therapist

Very informative. Great faculty. Created a safe environment for all questions.

Medical Professional

This summit was so engaging, applicable, and full of caring and knowledgeable presenters that I left feeling energized and hopeful despite the distressing topic.

Psychologist

My favorite part was the fast-paced rounds of professionals presenting how they would apply their theory or approach to a case.

Social Worker

Getting to hear about evidence-based interventions from leaders in the field was wonderful, especially the content on firearms and lethal-means restriction.

Psychologist

Suicidal Mode and Fluid Vulnerability Theory was a fantastic way to frame the complexities I'm seeing with clients, and it helps me think differently about risk assessment. I'm also going to look at utilizing CAMS in practice.

Social Worker

So much useful information in a short time to help provide the best care to our patients and clients.

Social Worker

Guy Diamond's approach and presentation was not only informative; his tone, manner, and presence matched what is essential for clinicians to embody.

Social Worker

Made Possible Together

Presented in partnership with
In collaboration with the field's leading organizations
Accreditation

8.0 CE contact hours

APA Approved Sponsor
American Psychological Association
The Wellness Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Wellness Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
National Association of Social Workers
This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval #886875714-2321) for 8 continuing education contact hours.
New York State Education Department
The New York State Education Department recognizes the Wellness Institute as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists, LMSWs, LCSWs, LMHCs and LMFTs.