Enhancing Safety and Rapport: Evidence-Informed Approaches from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Key Details

Registration Requirements: Whether you are an Inform USA member or not, you will need both an Inform USA and Learn profile to register and complete all CE requirements for this course. Click here to learn how to create these profiles.

To receive a complete and accurate certificate of completion upon meeting all course requirements, all users must add their social work license number to their Inform USA profile. Click here to learn how to add your social work license number to your Inform USA profile. Please also enter your social work license number and your name as you would like it to appear on your certificate in the appropriate fields when registering.

CE Credit: 1 Social Work CE

• To receive a complete and accurate certificate of completion upon meeting all course requirements, all users must add their social work license number to their Inform USA profile. Click here to learn how to add your social work license number to your Inform USA profile. Please also enter your social work license number and your name as you would like it to appear on your certificate in the appropriate fields when registering.
• Attendees must arrive at or before the scheduled start time, attend the entire course, and complete the online course evaluation to be eligible for social work CE credit. Training completion is based on timed attendance as tracked by Zoom. No partial credit will be available for this course

Notes:

• Completion of this course will not provide Inform USA continuing education credits.
• New York does not accept ASWB ACE provider or course/conference approval, so New York residents will be unable to receive social work CE for completion of this course.

Cost:

• Inform USA Members: Free
• Nonmembers: $15

Registration Deadline: DATE at TIME

Certificate of Completion: To receive a complete and accurate certificate of completion upon meeting all course requirements, all users must add their social work license number to their Inform USA profile. Click here to learn how to add your social work license number to your Inform USA profile. Please also enter your social work license number and your name as you would like it to appear on your certificate in the appropriate fields when registering.

Certificates of completion for social work CE credit will be available on the course evaluation page on Learn immediately upon successful completion of the course evaluation. 

Once successfully obtained, the certificate of completion will also be available on Learn under the user’s “My Activity” - “Certificates” section. Additionally, it will be available in the user’s Inform USA Member Compass under the “Continuing Education” section.

Target Audience: Behavioral and mental health professionals interested in suicide prevention and intervention

Content Level: Intermediate 

Course Description:

This presentation will explore the evidence and principles that shape the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s Safety Assessment Model, showing how clinical research, practical experiences, and person-centered approaches come together to guide an effective assessment of suicide safety. Participants will learn the foundational elements of how the 988 Lifeline model addresses suicide safety and de-escalation, while maintaining rapport, fostering empathy, and promoting collaboration. This presentation seeks to build understanding of 988 Lifeline’s services and confidence in explaining and referring individuals in suicidal crisis to the 988 Lifeline.

Learning Objectives:

After attending this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the core components of the 988 Lifeline Safety Assessment Model to assess and address suicide safety concerns while maintaining rapport and collaboration.
• Identify theoretical foundations and evidence-informed components of an effective suicide safety assessment.
• Build understanding of 988 Lifeline’s services and confidence in explaining and referring individuals in suicidal crisis to the 988 Lifeline.

Instructors:

Taylor Funke, CAC, CPS, CRS is a Certified Addiction Counselor, Certified Prevention Specialist, and Certified Resource Specialist through Inform USA. She currently serves as Manager of Clinical Standards at Vibrant Emotional Health, the administrator of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, where she supports 988 Lifeline centers in implementing and maintaining clinical best practices and standards. 

Prior to this role, Taylor worked at a local Lifeline crisis contact center as a center director and program manager and served as a trainer for several evidence-based curricula, including ASIST, Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and QPR/QPRT. Earlier in her career, she worked as a prevention and chemical dependency counselor across a range of settings, including jails, schools, and treatment programs. 

Taylor has presented at the Inform USA Conference in 2022 and 2025 and regularly presents to crisis contact centers and state partners across the 988 Lifeline Network on clinical best practices and standards.

Robyn Filler, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and national 988 behavioral health leader with extensive experience advancing clinical standards, best practices, quality improvement, and crisis-service delivery across the 988 Lifeline network. She serves as a senior clinical subject matter expert across clinical standards, crisis and suicide intervention, clinical technology, data governance, and accreditation, and is experienced in translating evidence-informed clinical practices into standards, policies, training, technology, and operational guidance for a national network of crisis centers. Robyn is recognized for connecting clinical practice with organizational strategy and collaborating across executive, clinical, technology, training, data, and external stakeholder teams to advance high-quality crisis services.

Course Completion Requirements:

To receive a complete and accurate certificate of completion upon meeting all course requirements, all users must add their social work license number to their Inform USA profile. Click here to learn how to add your social work license number to your Inform USA profile. Please also enter your social work license number and your name as you would like it to appear on your certificate in the appropriate fields when registering.

Attendees must arrive at or before the scheduled start time, attend the entire course, and complete the online course evaluation to be eligible for social work CE credit. Training completion is based on timed attendance as tracked by Zoom. No partial credit will be available for this course.  

If course attendance has been verified, a link to the course evaluation will be sent to the participant via email within​ 2 business days of completing the course.​ Evaluations will be available for two (2) weeks after the course has ended. Some email servers may detect the evaluation email as spam, so please check your spam folder if you haven't received it. If you have not received the evaluation within 14 days of course completion, please contact Inform USA Training and Development Lead, Andy Bethke MSW, APSW, CRS-A/D for assistance.

After two (2) weeks, participants will no longer have access to the evaluation and will have to contact Inform USA Training and Development Lead, Andy Bethke MSW, APSW, CRS-A/D about reactivation.

Important: Course evaluations will be available on Inform USA's professional development platform, Learn. Whether you are an Inform USA member or not, you will need both an Inform USA and Learn profile to register and complete all social work CE requirements for this course. Click here to learn how to create these profiles. 

Cancellations and Refunds:

No refunds will be provided for this course, including for missed attendance for any reason. No cancellations will be provided.

Click here to access the Inform USA Continuing Education Grievance Policy.

Contact Information:

Please contact Inform USA Training and Development Lead, Andy Bethke MSW, APSW, CRS-A/D if you have questions, concerns, or grievances about this course.

ADA Accommodations:

Contact Inform USA Training and Development Lead, Andy Bethke MSW, APSW, CRS-A/D to request ADA accommodations. Please make your request(s) at least two (2) weeks before the webinar date; late requests may not be accommodated.

Course Interactivity:

This course will have audience interaction in the form of audience questions.

CE Information:

Enhancing Safety and Rapport: Evidence-Informed Approaches from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, course #NUMBER, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by Inform USA as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: DATE-DATE. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical education credit.

Statement of Cosponsorship:

This course was made possible through a cosponsorship between Inform USA and Vibrant Emotional Health, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It was developed and is co-led by Taylor Funke, CAC, CPS, CRS, Manager – Clinical Standards Standards, Training and Practices at Vibrant Emotional Health and Robyn Filler, LCSW Director, Clinical Best Practices & Standards at Vibrant Emotional Health.

System Requirements:

System: 

• An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE)
• Speakers and a microphone – built-in, USB plug-in, or wireless Bluetooth
• A webcam or HD webcam - built-in, USB plug-in, or:
  • An HD cam or HD camcorder with a video-capture card
  • Virtual camera software for use with broadcasting software like OBS or IP cameras

Supported operating systems:

• macOS X with macOS X (10.13) or later
• Windows 11
• Windows 10
  Note: Devices running Windows 10 must run Windows 10 Home, Pro, or Enterprise. S Mode is not supported.
• Ubuntu 12.04 or higher
• Mint 17.1 or higher
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.0 or higher
• Oracle Linux 8.0 or higher
• CentOS 8 or higher
• Fedora 21 or higher
• OpenSUSE 13.2 or higher
• ArchLinux (64-bit only)

Supported web browsers:

• Chrome: Within the current and past 2 versions
• Firefox: Within the current and past 2 versions
• Edge: Within the current and past 2 versions
• Safari: Within the current and past 2 versions

Bandwidth requirements:

• The bandwidth used by Zoom will be optimized for the best experience based on the participant‘s’ network. It will automatically adjust for 3/4/5G, WiFi, or wired networks.

Click here for additional Zoom system requirements.

Code of Conduct:

Inform USA's continuing education for social work adheres to the NASW Code of Ethics. We strive to ensure that the training environment for social work professionals remains respectful, productive, and conducive to learning. Disruptive behavior that interferes with the learning process, disrupts the training experience for others, or undermines the integrity of the program will not be tolerated.

Expectations for Participant Engagement

In alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics and Inform USA expectations, participants are expected to demonstrate professionalism, which includes respecting confidentiality, maintaining a collaborative and respectful tone, and contributing positively to the group dynamic. Disclosures made during the training (e.g., case studies or personal reflections) must be handled with care and in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines.

All participants in the training program are expected to:

• Engage actively in the learning process and show respect for the opinions and contributions of others.
• Demonstrate professionalism in both attitude and behavior, maintaining respect for instructors, peers, and the training environment.
• Maintain open communication by expressing concerns or disagreements constructively and respectfully.
• Follow the guidelines and expectations provided by instructors and facilitators.
• Support a collaborative learning environment where all participants feel valued and safe to contribute.