Courses and Events

In the past fifteen years, suicide has risen to the second leading cause of death for 15 -19 year olds in the United States. Clinicians who work with adolescents who are at high risk for life-threatening behaviors are faced with the challenge of managing multiple problems including disordered eating, substance abuse, high-risk sexual behaviors, as well as suicidal and self-injurious behaviors. Although Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) was originally developed for adults, there is an abundance of research that demonstrates the effectiveness of DBT in treating the complex challenges of adolescents (referred to as DBT-A). This program will review the adaptations made to DBT to address the needs of adolescents and their families. The training will provide a focus on engaging teens and their caregivers, providing skills training and coaching to adolescents and their caregivers, secondary targets and dialectical dilemmas unique to adolescents, and the management of and multi-family skills groups. A combination of lecture, experiential exercises, and role-plays will be included in this program.

This presenter is being supported through a partnership between UNC-CH, School of Social Work and the NCAHEC Program.