Course Announcement !

Developed in 1968 by AAS’s founding president, Dr. Edwin Shneidman, and refined over the years since, the psychological autopsy has become a best practice postmortem procedure to reconstruct the proximate and distal causes of an individual’s death by suicide or to ascertain the most likely manner of death where that manner of death is equivocal and left undetermined by a medical examiner or coroner. The psychological autopsy, furthermore, helps promote understandings to the often-asked “why?” question raised by survivors regarding the suicide of their loved one, is used in case-control research studies to better ascertain risk factors for suicide, and helps to answer questions of causation in both individual cases (e.g. where negligence may be alleged) of suicide and interconnections between cases (as in clusters of suicides), hence lessons learned to inform prevention efforts.

Initial Certification Training Course

What? 2-day, face-to-face training program in the psychological autopsy leading to certification as a Certified Psychological Autopsy Investigator

Who? Presented by Alan L. Berman, Ph.D., AAS Executive Director

When? Where?

How much? Fees vary based on status as AAS member and/or current student.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the history and purposes of the psychological autopsy as a postmortem investigatory tool.

• Identify the procedures used in the conduct of a psychological autopsy investigation.

• Effectively implement a psychological autopsy protocol and associated procedures to conduct, analyze, and understand how and why an individual died in the manner they did.

More information...

* Registrants must possess a minimum of a Masters degree in a social sciences/behavioral health field OR current employment consistent with the opportunity to conduct psychological autopsies

* To complete the certification process, trainees will be further required to independently conduct and submit a completed psychological autopsy case study/report post-training evidencing appropriate interpretation of findings from protocol-based interviews and archived records.

* Initial certification is good for 3 years. An annual fee ($100) to maintain certification in good standing is required after year 1. Renewal certification will be granted for a five year period (at an annual $100 fee or a one-time five-year fee of $400) upon submission of evidence of a minimum of one psychological autopsy study in clinical, research, forensic, or other settings during the 1st three years.

Contact Andrea Price with questions