Program Description:
While moral injury has historically been studied in military contexts, clinicians increasingly encounter its devastating impact among healthcare workers, educators, first responders, marginalized communities, and individuals navigating profound relational or institutional betrayal. Unlike major depression—which is often driven by hopelessness or anhedonia—moral-injury-related suicidality is frequently rooted in intense shame, guilt, grief, and a shattered sense of trust in oneself or the world. Traditional suicide risk assessments can miss these moral dimensions, leaving critical protective factors untapped.
Designed for counselors, social workers, psychologists, and allied mental health professionals across all practice settings, this 1-hour clinical briefing explores how moral injury and institutional betrayal contribute to suicide risk in civilian populations. Participants will learn how to differentiate moral injury from PTSD and clinical burnout, screen for moral pain during suicide risk assessments, and integrate values-based, shame-reducing strategies into collaborative safety planning.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
1. Differentiate the clinical presentations of moral injury, institutional betrayal, PTSD, and occupational burnout in non-military populations.
2. Identify at least three moral-injury-specific risk factors and cognitive-emotional markers (such as moral shame and loss of trust) that elevate suicide risk.
3. Apply targeted assessment questions and values-anchored interventions to enhance standard suicide risk screenings and collaborative safety plans.
Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7881. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
