5 Hours / 5 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Suicide Assessment Manual for Inmates (SAMI) is presented by Alana Cook, Ph.D.

Dr. Cook reviews major concepts related to risk assessment and management of suicide for inmates, teaches participants how to rate the risk factors on the SAMI, and reviews how the SAMI is used in practice.

The Suicide Assessment Manual for Inmates (SAMI) is a set of guidelines for the comprehensive assessment of the suicide risk of inmates based on the Structured Professional Judgement (SPJ) model. Populations of use are individuals of risk for suicide in custodial populations. Initial validation research on the SAMI is published in the SAMI manual.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the major concepts related to suicide risk assessment for inmates.
  • 2 Describe how to rate the risk factors on the SAMI.
  • 3 Describe how the measure can be used in practice (implementation issues).
  • 4 Practice and receive feedback on the application of the SAMI to five training cases.

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for professionals who work with incarcerated individuals and are responsible for assessing and managing suicide risk. It is suitable for those specializing in correctional mental health, forensic psychology, psychiatry, social work, as well as those in allied roles such as nursing staff and correctional officers who interact with or provide care to incarcerated individuals.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Psychiatrists
    • Social Workers
    • Nursing Staff
    • Correctional Officers
    • Custodial Staff involved in inmate care
    • Professionals in allied roles who interact with incarcerated individuals

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with suicide risk assessment in correctional settings.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to suicide risk assessment for inmates and have limited or no prior experience with the SAMI or structured professional judgement models.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with suicide risk assessment in correctional settings and are familiar with structured assessment tools, but seek to deepen their understanding and application of the SAMI.

    • Advanced: Participants have extensive experience conducting suicide risk assessments in custodial populations and are proficient in using structured professional judgement models, seeking to refine their skills and address complex implementation challenges with the SAMI.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice in secure correctional and forensic care environments—jails, prisons, detention centers, and forensic hospitals—where services occur in housing units, clinics, intake/booking, segregation, and suicide watch areas. Work is multidisciplinary and protocol-driven, emphasizing structured professional judgement (e.g., the Suicide Assessment Manual for Inmates, SAMI) to assess, rate, and manage suicide risk within custodial constraints.

    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • County and state jails
    • State and federal prisons
    • Juvenile detention centers
    • Immigration detention facilities
    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals/secure units
    • Intake/booking and classification units
    • Medical/mental health clinics inside facilities
    • Administrative segregation/restrictive housing and suicide watch units
Presented By

Alana N. Cook, PhD

Dr. Alana N. Cook, R.Psych. works in private practice providing treatment and psycholegal assessment services in and around Vancouver, BC. She is a Registered Psychologist of the College of Psychologists of British Columbia. She holds academic positions as an Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University and as an Instructor in the School of Criminal Justice and Security at the Justice Institute of BC. She has worked in the past as a Psychologist for the BC Forensic Psychiatric Service Commission (BC Forensic Psychiatric Hospital) and as a Senior Psychology Advisor for WorkSafe BC.

Dr. Cook completed her PhD in clinical-forensic psychology at Simon Fraser University and her Master’s of Science in clinical psychology at Pacific University. She also completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship with joint appointments at the Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, the British Columbia Forensic Psychiatric Service Commission, and ProActive ReSolutions.

Dr. Cook focuses her work at the intersection of psychology and law, specifically on psychological and forensic assessment, treatment, and policy. In her clinical work, she has conducted evidence-based assessment and treatment across the spectrum of mental disorders, including Serious Mental Illness and Personality Disorder, in both inpatient and outpatient settings within forensic and non-forensic contexts. Her professional work has included consultations with various mental health and law enforcement professionals, delivery of training workshops in violence risk assessment and management, and teaching, mentoring, and supervision of students.

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Major concepts related to risk assessment and management of suicide for inmates.

  • An overview of the SAMI.

  • Coding the SAMI items.

  • Developing risk ratings, formulation, and management plans.

  • Challenges of implementing the SAMI in a correctional environment.

  • Implementation of the SAMI to five practice cases with feedback from gold standard ratings.

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.