Self-injury is intentionally hurting the body (e.g. cutting, burning etc..) but without suicidal intent. Because it often looks like a suicidal gesture it tends to evoke fear and confusion. Its very nature seems to defy deep instinctual human drives for self-preservation as well strong social taboos related to self-inflicted injury. Much has been learned in the past decade and a half about what it is, why it works, and its relationship to suicide and other mental health challenges. This interactive presentation will review NSSI epidemiology, recovery processes and best practices for intervention and treatment. It will conclude with discussion and resources.

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This training is made possible through the Fred Steffen Fund for Training.

Janis Whitlock, Ph.D., MPH is the Director of the Self-Injury & Recovery Resources Project, a program of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery. Dr. Whitlock started her professional life as an educator in the areas of sexuality and women’s health, adolescent social and emotional development, and HIV prevention. She started studying self-injury in 2004 and spent the next two decades contributing to understanding of self-injury epidemiology, recovery processes, and opportunities for intervention and prevention. Dr. Whitlock has also conducted research on the relationship of social media and mental health, suicide prevention, and resilience and connectedness. She also directed the Cornell Translational Research Institute from 2017-2020, aimed at assisting scholars to effectively bridge research with practice and policy in their areas of interest. In 2022, Dr. Whitlock returned to the field as a consultant and coach to bring all that she has learned about adolescent and young adult well-being to parents, schools, and communities.

Learning objectives: As a result of participating, participants will be able to:

• Identify epidemiological characteristics of common forms of non-suicidal self-injury.
• Understand core NSSI function and co-morbidity, including the relationship between NSSI and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
• Review primary NSSI recovery trajectories.
•  Understand core principles and practices in effective self-injury intervention and treatment.
• Locate and use self-injury resources (articles, books, websites).

This training costs $30, which includes 3.0 CEU’s for social workers, psychologists, and counselors. This training is free to JCFS staff, who must register in UKG Pro Learning.

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