News & Events
An Undergraduate Module in Suicide Prevention for Health & Social Care Students
On January 17th, the National Suicide Research Foundation in collaboration with the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention and the School of Public Health held a seminar and World Café in UCC.
The event brought together key stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including experts in the field of suicide prevention & mental health, representatives from non-governmental organizations, and student representatives. The event received SATLE funding from CIRTL, UCC and was co-funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention.
From left to right: Dr. Michelle O' Driscoll, Post-doctoral Researcher, National Suicide Research Foundation; Dr. Eve Griffin, CEO, National Suicide Research Foundation; Ms. Kerrie Gallagher, Research Officer, National Suicide Research Foundation; Ms. Ailish O' Neill, Education and Training Manger, National Office for Suicide Prevention.
The module is based on a core competency framework for suicide prevention and aims to provide undergraduate healthcare students with the fundamental knowledge, skills, attitudes and confidence necessary to identify and support individuals at risk of suicide. The project is led by Dr. Michelle O’ Driscoll, Ms. Kerrie Gallagher, Dr. Eve Griffin and Dr. Cliodhna O’ Brien of the NSRF, with valued input from various stakeholders, including the National Office for Suicide Prevention, healthcare lecturers, module coordinators and students. A consultation group with members from across the HEIs has also been established.
The seminar began with a series of presentations from key stakeholders. These presentations provided valuable insights into the purpose of the module, its potential benefits, and the challenges it may encounter. The speakers highlighted the importance of the module in promoting suicide prevention and enhancing the training of healthcare professionals. Following the presentations, a panel discussion was held, allowing attendees to engage in a thought-provoking dialogue with the panel of experts.
Following the seminar, a World Café session was organised to gather qualitative data and discuss the successful implementation of the module across the relevant healthcare courses in Ireland. This interactive session provided a platform for participants to share innovative ideas and innovative solutions to address any potential challenges that may arise during the implementation process. The World Café session fostered a conducive environment for participants to engage in meaningful conversations. Through group discussions and activities, attendees were able to share their perspectives, experiences, and suggestions on how to effectively implement the module across healthcare courses.
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If you would like more information on the upcoming pilot of this module, or involvement in future iterations of the module, please contact Dr. Michelle O' Driscoll (michelle.odriscoll@ucc.ie) or Kerrie Gallagher(kgallagher@ucc.ie).