WEBINAR
Revisiting Best Practices in High-Risk Behavior Assessments
Speaker Spotlight
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Elena M. Doskey de Lobón, Ph.D.
Elena M. Doskey de Lobón, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and Director of Clinical Training at Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center.
She is nationally certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and trained in multiple evidence-based interventions. At DCAC, she works closely with multidisciplinary teams and provides expert testimony, bringing deep expertise to some of the most complex child abuse cases.
Q & A
Why is it important to revisit and refresh best practices in high-risk behavior assessments, even for experienced professionals?
Revisiting best practices and high risk behavior assessments even for those people who are highly trained in it is really important because it's an anxiety producing activity. Anytime that we have anxiety as professionals we sometimes don't put forth our best efforts and so when we revisit these best practices we can tell ourselves okay I know exactly what's being demanded of me so when that moment of stress comes up I know exactly what to do. We know that suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 through 34, and honestly, the stakes couldn't be higher. So it's really important for us that we're putting our best foot forward in order to serve these youth.
What’s one of the biggest challenges professionals face when conducting high-risk behavior assessments?
One of the biggest challenges that professionals face when conducting high risk behavior assessments is themselves. And what I mean by that is it's our own nerves. It's our own fears. It's our fear that we're going to get it wrong. It's our fear that we're going to make families upset. And so really managing our own reactions to the topic of suicidality and risk assessment and safety planning so that we can really crystallize what's being asked of us when we're serving these high risk youth.
What are some warning signs that professionals across disciplines—whether in mental health, child protection, or law enforcement—should never overlook in a high-risk assessment?
Some warning signs that professionals across disciplines should never overlook is when children say they want to kill themselves. I know that sounds really obvious, but sometimes for those kids who maybe chronically say this or say this repeatedly, it's easy for us to dismiss that, to say they just want that for attention. They don't really mean it. They're just saying that because they're upset. We really can't dismiss those things. We can't dismiss those things and we need to pay attention to those things.
Can you share an example of how collaboration among law enforcement, CPS, prosecutors, and clinicians leads to stronger safety outcomes for youth?
We have the great opportunity to be working as a multidisciplinary team, and that offers us the strength that any single member of that team could be the person in the relationship with the child that makes the difference in that child's feeling of what we call "social connectedness." We know from research that youth who feel socially connected have lower risk of suicidality. And when abuse happens, it really severs that connectedness that youth feel with their families and with their greater communities. Sometimes the people stepping in to help step into those positions, whether they wanted to or not. And so I think it's really important that we never underestimate that it might be the detective.
It might be the DFPS or child welfare worker. It might be that interviewer who provided the safe space for the child or the therapist or the advocate who stepped in to provide that level of connectedness so that that youth doesn't feel so alone.
What’s one practical strategy every professional can take back to their agency after attending this webinar?
One strategy that the multidisciplinary team can take to improve their ability with these high risk behavior assessments is come up with a protocol. And there are already a lot of protocols out there. So I don't mean invent your own protocol, but make sure that your agency has a strategy. Make sure that everyone feels equipped to know what to do when these situations come up. And ultimately, don't go at it alone. Nobody is asking you to assess for these things alone.
Remember that you're a part of a bigger team doing a much bigger task committed to a really important mission and that you should really lean on those supports and the expertise of those around you in order to help you with these decisions.