Before beginning her DBH journey this Fall, Nicole King, MS, LMHC is already helping bring national attention to an often-overlooked area of behavioral health: suicide risk among older adults.
Nicole will present “Highest Rate & Fewest Resources: Suicide Risk Assessment in Older Adults” at the American Counseling Association’s upcoming Beyond the Crisis: Suicide Prevention and Intervention Summit taking place virtually September 25, 2026. The presentation, developed collaboratively with a colleague, focuses on a population that is often underrepresented in suicide prevention training despite having some of the highest suicide rates in the United States.
Her presentation explores how suicide risk can look different later in life, particularly when grief, serious illness, cognitive changes, loss of independence, caregiver involvement, and end-of-life concerns are part of the clinical picture. Attendees will explore how to recognize less obvious signs of suicide risk and what clinicians can do once that risk is identified, from collaborative safety planning and caregiver involvement to coordination with medical, hospice, and palliative care providers.
For Nicole, the work is ultimately about helping clinicians better understand the complexity of aging while providing care that respects each individual.
“Older adults deserve suicide prevention care that recognizes the complexity of aging rather than treating age as simply another risk factor. I hope this presentation helps clinicians feel more confident asking difficult questions, recognizing risk that may not look the way they expect, and building safety plans that respect both the autonomy and dignity of the older adult.”
As Nicole prepares to begin the DBH program, she is already bringing an important perspective to a national conversation about how behavioral healthcare can better recognize and respond to the needs of older adults.
