Preventing Addiction Related Suicide (PARS) is a prevention intervention provided to addiction treatment patients who are at higher risk of suicide. It is a two to three hour PowerPoint based interactive group session which focuses on future suicide prevention, not acute treatment. The PARS intervention was designed with input from addiction patients, counselors, and administrators to fit easily into intensive outpatient programs, the most common form of addiction treatment in the U.S. 

In a randomized control trial, counselors at intensive outpatient programs received two hours of training and then delivered PARS in their own groups. These trained counselors rated PARS as highly effective, feasible, and easy to incorporate into their usual workflow.

The PARS intervention significantly improved patients’ suicide knowledge, attitudes, and adaptive coping skills compared to treatment as usual and significantly improved counselors’ knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in treating patients with suicidal thoughts and behaviors (Ries, Livengood, Huh et al, 2022).

What is PARSWeb?

PARSWeb is a training for counselors to help deliver the PARS intervention to their patients/clients in group settings. This was developed in collaboration with the AIMS Center and Dr. Richard Ries.  

PARSWeb Training

The PARSweb training is an interactive psychoeducational suicide prevention program that was designed to be used within community addiction group therapy treatment by addiction specialists and counselors, like SUDPs in Washington.

This training includes:

• the PARSWeb manual
• a web-based workbook that includes expanded guidance, sample discussion prompts, and facilitation tips from the UW CSPAR PARS team based on live group observations
• A full video example of Dr. Ries facilitating the PARS training live at a community addiction treatment center
• Highlights of key content sections and group discussions