This workshop will provide foundational information regarding self-injurious behavior (SIB), including definitions, prevalency rates, causes, and an overview of evidence-based treatments for SIB (CBT and DBT). The workshop will also introduce participants to the HIRE model: a tool for the informal assessment of SIB developed by Buser and Buser (2013). Participants will also receive instruction in developing a school-wide protocol for assessing/supporting self-injurers.

This session will help participants

1. describe the reasons why individuals self-harm,
2. apply the HIRE model to assess self-injurious behavior, and
3. describe the most effective therapeutic approaches to working with youth who self-injure.

Prerequisite Knowledge

Types of self-harm, knowledge of typical adolescent development, and knowledge of depression and anxiety in teenagers.

Practical Tools

HIRE Model by Buser and Buser (2013). Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) Cheat Sheet. Explanation of causes of SIB according to the biopsychosocial model.