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In April, Diane Menago, Psy.D., program and clinical training director of the Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology program in �Թ�tv's School of Arts & Sciences, and Mindy Parisi Cummings, Ph.D., associate professor of Counseling Psychology, presented their research at the 2022 American Association of Suicidology Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

The presentation by Drs. Menago and Cummings, “Suicide Assessment, Bereavement & Postvention: What Do Mental Health Professionals Need to Know?” is centered on a project that seeks to create and disseminate a systematic training program for preparing graduate students in the counseling field to conduct effective suicide risk assessments, understanding best practices for supporting those who have been impacted by suicide, identifying those at risk, and implementing appropriate treatment strategies.

“As someone that has lost their partner to suicide, I was made keenly aware of the lack of quality care in the area of suicide bereavement and postvention,” said Dr. Menago. “As a psychologist, I feel I can lend a voice to the destigmatization of suicide, promote research in these areas, and train future mental health care professionals to help those impacted by suicide.”

“As a mental health professional, I have long been committed to comprehensive suicide risk assessment and attending to the needs of those impacted by suicide,” said Dr. Cummings. “A few years ago, a close family member died by suicide, so this work has become more personal and an important aspect of my ongoing meaning-making.”

For more information on �Թ�tv's Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology program, please visit the program webpage.