Webinars
June 11th, 2025 at 12-1PM EST
Predicting & Managing Risk for Suicide in Newly Discharged Veterans
with Dr. Emily Edwards and Dr. Ashley Greene
Purpose Statement:
Veterans who are newly discharged from military service face various challenges as they transition back into civilian life, which may increase their risk for suicide within the period immediately following discharge. Due to military culture around disclosure of emotional distress, many such Veterans are hesitant to engage with mental health services to address these challenges. Through this live virtual presentation, providers will learn skills and strategies to assess for elevated risk for suicide among their newly discharged Veteran clients and to effectively engage these Veterans into care.
Outcome/Objectives:
At the conclusion of this educational program, learners will be able to:
1. identify common risk factors for suicide-related behaviors during the military-to-civilian transition;
2. create strategies for effectively assessing risk for suicide in transitioning Veterans;
3. develop skills for effectively engaging at-risk transitioning Veterans into care.
Program Description:
The VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) pursues a discovery-to-recovery approach to determine the causes, identify predictors, and develop treatments for individuals with SMI, with emphasis on psychosis and on suicide. The topics for this series consist of innovative treatments that we have created/tested and insights from research that have helped to inform clinical care.
Target Audience:
Physicians, Psychologists, Social Workers, Nurses, Counselors, and Therapists
Accreditations (1 CE): ACCME, ACCME-NP, APA, ASWB, JA IPCE, NBCC, NYSED SW, NYSED Psychology
Registration:
VA Attendees (TMS #131014491)
Non-VA Attendees (TRAIN #1129287)
PRESENTERS:
Emily Edwards, PhD is the Director of the Clinical Core at the VISN 2 MIRECC and a licensed clinical psychologist in New York State. She received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida, M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College, and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from CUNY Graduate Center. As a scientist practitioner, Dr. Edwards embraces integration of clinical practice and research. Her research focuses on themes of justice-involvement, suicide, and personality disorders, particularly among military Veterans, and on transdiagnostic interventions to reduce risk for individuals affected by these difficulties. In addition to her research and clinical work, Dr. Edwards has also provided consultation services to local problem-solving courts, the Veterans Benefits Association, VA Office of General Counsel, and NYC Department of Corrections, among others.
Ashley Greene, PhD is a Research Psychologist at the VISN 2 MIRECC and a New York State licensed clinical psychologist. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and her M.A./PhD in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University before joining the VISN 2 MIRECC as an Advanced Psychology Fellow. Dr. Greene’s research focuses on the conceptualization, classification, and measurement of psychopathology. This work uses quantitative methods to investigate dimensional models of psychopathology classification in reaction to the limitations of categorical nosologies like the DSM. By merging her quantitative expertise with her clinical expertise in the treatment of high-risk combat Veterans struggling to readjust to post-military life, her suicide prevention research aims to (1) improve the conceptualization, measurement, and treatment of military transition stressors and subsequent reintegration difficulties, (2) to understand the causes and consequences of challenges faced during military transition and reintegration, (3) to develop contextualized suicide-risk profiles of Veterans across the lifespan. Dr. Greene draws upon diverse disciplines to inform her work, including personality, developmental and adult psychopathology, psychiatric epidemiology, psychometrics, philosophy of science, and psychoanalytically-based theory and interventions.
Additional Information for TMS Registration:
Questions?
Non-VA employees, please contact the VHA TRAIN Help Desk by email at VHATRAIN@va.gov.
VA employees, please contact Lauran Hardy at Lauran.Hardy@va.gov.
