CRMGTPV X052 - Responding Effectively to Youth in Crisis: Best Practices for Serving Minors on Crisis and Social Service Phone Lines
This training is designed to equip social workers, counselors, crisis workers and youth-serving professionals with the skills they need to support children and adolescents during their most vulnerable moments. The session offers practical, evidence-based strategies that can be applied immediately. Participants will learn how to analyze developmental and trauma-related factors that shape youth crisis manifestations, apply developmentally appropriate engagement and assessment techniques. They will also learn how to evaluate when to involve guardians, initiate mandatory reporting or coordinate warm handoffs in alignment with Ohio laws. This training covers essential topics, such as suicide and self-harm risk assessment for minors, trauma-responsive communication, safety planning tailored to children and teens and best practices for working with special populations, including LGBTQ+ youth, neurodivergent youth and youth in foster care or juvenile justice systems.
Delivery Options
This training is constructed as a non-interactive, video-based asynchronous distance learning training.
Time to Completion
Total Asynchronous Time is approximately 2.75 hours.
Training Completion Requirements
- Participants must submit a pre-training survey, complete all coursework requirements, and pass the training post-test with a score of at least 80%. Unlimited attempts are allowed.
- The post-training evaluation survey will be immediately available once the required coursework and post-test are finished, and the evaluation must be completed to receive CE credit.
Technology Requirements
- Reliable internet connection
- Computer, laptop, or tablet capable of accessing online course materials
- Ability to stream video and interactive content
- Recommended browsers: Google Chrome or Firefox
Additional Technology Information
This course uses H5P to provide interactive course content to learners in the form of interactive videos, interactive presentations, and more. If you require assistance in or experience difficulties completing assignments that use H5P, please contact the COM Digital Accessibility Coordinator at DigitalAccessibility@osumc.edu. Accommodation and assistance will be arranged for you as appropriate free from penalty.
What You’ll Learn
After completing this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify developmental, contextual and trauma-related factors that influence how minors present during crisis calls.
- Apply evidence-based crisis intervention strategies to respond to minors on social service and emergency phone lines, including rapport building, risk assessment and safety planning.
- Identify when and how to initiate mandatory reporting, involve guardians and/or coordinate warm hand-offs based on Ohio legal standards and best practice guidelines.
What You’ll Earn
- This training is approved for 2.75 CE clock hours for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, as well as prevention professionals in domains P2 - Prevention Education & Service Delivery (1.25) and P6 - Professional Growth & Responsibility (1.5) in the state of Ohio.
- Social workers completing this training will receive 2.75 clinical continuing education clock hours under ACE.
Additional Information
Development Date: June 2026
Target Audience: 988 crisis call line staff and other human services professionals
Content Level: Beginner
Training Outline
- Understanding youth crisis presentation
- Engagement and rapport-building with minors
- Legal and ethical considerations in Ohio
- Suicide and safety assessment for minors
- Safety planning and de-escalation
- Working with special populations
Instructor
Lois Marie Clay Stepney, PhD, MSW, LISW-S
Assistant Clinical Faculty, The Ohio State University College of Social Work
Lois Marie Clay Stepney, PhD, MSW, LISW-S, assistant clinical faculty, has served in the Columbus community since 1995 in the mental health and medical fields as a master’s-level social worker in both clinical and administrative roles. One clinical accomplishment she is most proud of includes starting a juvenile sex offender treatment program as the director of community support programs at the Ohio Youth Advocate Program, which continues almost two decades later under the National Youth Advocate Program. In academia, Stepney served as MSW program director from autumn 2016 to spring 2020, at Ohio State’s College of Social Work, leading the charge in scaling the online program from 17 enrolled students to more than 400 during her tenure. Stepney also served as curriculum director at the college until spring 2021, where she was involved in coordinating efforts to launch the MSW program curriculum redesign. She is part of the first cohort of clinical faculty hired by the college in 2023.
Continuing Education Approvals
The Ohio State University College of Social Work, (Provider: 1628), 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. The Ohio State College of Social Work maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 4/30/25-4/30/28. Social workers completing this course receive 2.75 clinical continuing education credits.
The Ohio State University College of Social Work provides approvals for continuing education for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists that are accepted by the state of Ohio Counselor, Social Work, and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board.
The Ohio State University College of Social Work has been approved by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals (CDP) Board as a provider of Continuing Education, approval number: 50-24068.
Certificates & CE Reporting
CE certificates will be available for download in your learner portal within 1 business day after submitting the evaluation survey.
Hours for those with Ohio licenses that are submitted with the evaluation survey will be reported to CE Broker every 14 days (twice per month).
⚠️ Note: You may only complete this training once for CE credit. You may revisit the content, but only one certificate will be issued and credit will only be reported to CE Broker one time.
Cancellations, Refunds, Grievances, Accessibility Requests & Learning
Please visit the Policies section of our website for more information on our processes for cancellations, refunds, grievances, training completions & certificates, participant conduct, and accessibility requests and learning accommodations.
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you require an accommodation to participate in this training, please contact CSW Accessibility as early as possible and in advance of the training start date by email at csw-accessibility@osu.edu or call 614-688-1657. Requests received at least 14-days prior to the date you plan to begin a training will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the College will make every effort to meet requests that we receive regardless of lead time.
Contact Us
For questions about the enrollment process, payment options, technology, or training records, please submit an inquiry and our Enrollment Support team will assist you within 24 hours during business days.
If you have any questions, concerns or feedback about the training content or delivery format, please contact the 988 training team at 988trainings@osu.edu. For questions related to the training content, our office will facilitate communication with the training instructor on your behalf and connect you, if applicable. Presenter contact information will be provided within the training for questions, feedback, or comments.
Email: 988trainings@osu.edu
Website: csw.osu.edu/continuing-education/988-lifeline-series