Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D.

QPR for Police and First Responders

Abstract
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer -- 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans, like you, are saying "Yes" to saving the life of a college student, friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor. This is a certification program in which participants will receive documentation regarding their ability to identify, manage and refer potentially suicidal students.    

Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to identify key risk-factors associated with depression, anxiety and adjustment disorders related to suicide.
• Participants will learn how to approach students with these difficulties and work towards improving communications with them.
• Participants will learn how to properly refer students to the appropriate offices for treatment and assistance.
• Participants will learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of suicide. They will learn the proper way to intervene and refer students to counseling for further assessment.

Best Practices in Psychological Assessment—A panel discussion

Abstract
Mandated Assessment from judicial affairs and residential life are becoming more common at institutions of higher education. Counseling staff are being asked to provide these assessments and in a manner that ensures quality care for the student, safety for the greater college community and increased communication between the referral agent (judicial affairs, residential life, campus police, academics) and counseling staff. This seminar will offer some practical, best approaches for conducting mandated assessment of at-risk college students.

Learning Objectives

• Identifying the types of behavior that are appropriate for referral for a mandated counseling assessment. These include suicidal actions, severe eating disorders, threats to others, inability to care for self (schizophrenia), extreme risk taking, aggression management, extreme alcohol dependence and domestic violence.
• Exploration of threat levels and how they can be applied to student behavior categories to better improve communication and standardize terminology (a comparison of NCHERM’s NaBITA threat model with the model suggested in Gene Desinger’s new handbook of threat assessment teams).
• Increase  understanding of how to make referrals in a manner which maximizes information exchange and clarity.
• Understanding the importance of applying HIPAA and new FERPA standards to communications between departments, with faculty and parents.Understanding how to notify parents during crisis situations and the pros and cons of having this notification come from judicial affairs/residential life versus counseling staff.
• Suggestions on how to better manage at-risk students who, after the initial assessment, remain on campus. Highlights on improving communication and consistency within the judicial and housing judicial system.
• Developing relationships with campus threat assessment teams and identifying the best strategies for improving communication between team members to ensure quality care for the student, increased safety for the campus community and legal defensibility for the college.
• Psycho educational programming options for mandated treatment. Example protocols will be offered covering suicide education, homicide/aggression education, domestic violence and sexual harassment.
• A review of common tools used in forensic assessment
• Overview and discussion of terminology and “common biases” found with judicial affairs and counseling staff to improve communication

Biography
Dr. Van Brunt has worked in the counseling field for over fifteen years. He served as Director of Counseling at New England College from 2001-2007 and currently serves as Director of Counseling and Testing at Western Kentucky University. His counseling style draws from a variety of approaches, though primarily from the humanistic/person-centered style of treatment with its emphasis on warmth, compassion, empathy, unconditional positive regard, individual choice and personal responsibility. He is a certified QPR suicide prevention trainer and trained in BASICS alcohol intervention. Brian is also a senior trainer in John Byrne's Aggression Management program.

Brian currently serves as the president-elect of the American College Counseling Association. He has presented nationally on counseling ethics, mandated counseling, and testing and assessment for the American College Counseling Association (ACCA), Association of College and University Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD), American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the National Association of Forensic Counselors (NAFC). He has presented on web site design at the Georgia College Counseling Association (GCCA) conference in 2007 and was awarded the American College Health Association Innovation Grant for his work on New England College’s website. He has taught graduate classes in counseling theory, ethics, testing and assessment and program evaluation. He has taught undergraduate classes in adjustment and personal growth, deviance and counseling theory. 

Publications
Working with Disruptive and Aggressive Behavior in and out of the Classroom. (Keynote address given at Lakeshore College, Cleveland, Wisconsin; 10/2009)

Behavioral Intervention Teams & Working with Aggression and Violence on Campus (Baker College; 8/2009)

Threat Assessment and Management of At-Risk Students. (Plenary address NASPA Mental Health Conference. Boston, MA; 1/2009)

Instead of Mandated Therapy: Mandated Educational Programming (Magna Webinar, 8/2009)

Mandated Assessment of At-Risk Students: 10 Best Practices (Magna Webinar; 6/2009)

The Potential for Violence: Assessment and Interventions.  (Plenary address given at the University of Nebraska Medical Center symposium; 11/2008)