Fourth Interview Questions

Even when life seems dark and nothing seems to be in order, hope will illuminate the way. 

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

For this interview I plan on interviewing Patricia Janice Overley, M.S. who is a support group leader for the Hope After Suicide Group in Chino Hills who meet bimonthly to provide support for families who have had relatives or friends through suicide.

2.  Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. Your focus should be finding answers to your EQ.

1. What is a support group?
1. how does a support group work?
2. Why do people seek out assistance in this form?
3. What is the benefit of a support group over traditional individual therapy or other forms of help?
4. When a relative or friend of someone who went through with suicide, what is the first step they would have to take?
5. What is Hope After Suicide?
6. How did it come to be? How did you come to lead this group?
7. Why is it important to have support?
8. Most people who seek help in a support group have little to no prior relations before joining this group, what would you say is an essential part in creating the trust that each person needs?
9. In your years of experience, how would you explain the general process of recovery for each individual?
10. Why is it important to seek help after a close relative or friend dies through suicide?
11. Should an individual who is trying to help a suicidal individual seek personal help during the beginning of helping their friend or when?
12. Does seeking personal support make anyone less inclined to follow through with suicidal thoughts?
13. What are the risks of not seeking support after someone close completes suicide?
14. If someone did not go through with suicide, what would you recommend for steps to take?
15. Should there be a restriction to when an individual should be able to learn about the risk of suicide?
1. If so, how old should they be?
16. Do you recommend support groups to children?
17. What do you believe are the primary factors to consider when approaching someone considering suicide?
18. What has been the most rewarding experience for you when regarding HOPE after suicide?
19. What is your background in suicide prevention, or in psychology?
20. Would you recommend any resources for me to look more into support as a tool for suicide prevention?

Blog #14: Third Interview Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

For this interview, I intend on interviewing Lizette Martinez from the DIdi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center. Her current position in this facility is the Training Coordinator for online suicide prevention chats. hotline volunteers and support group members. She is responsible for all of the education that the volunteers receive in order to ensure that each person who is receiving help is receiving the best help possible.

 

2.  Verify that you have called your interviewee to schedule an interview.  What is the date and time of the interview?

Currently, my interviewee and I are still discussing times which are compatible for both of us. Initially, we discussed having it in person, however, video chatting may be our best option considering that our central locations are far from each other.

3.  Phrase an open-ended question that will help you find research resources that would help to answer the EQ.

Why would being educated on suicide prevention risk factors assist in approach?

How is approaching someone who may be experiencing suicidal ideation be done?

4.  Phrase an open-ended question that will help you think about other useful activities you might do to help you answer the EQ (IC2, possible experts to talk to, etc).

How can access to resources help prevent suicide?

5.  Phrase two open-ended questions that help you to understand your interviewee's perspective on an aspect of your EQ.

What factors do you believe are the most significant to leading someone into considering suicide?

Why is proper education on risk factors important to preventing suicide?

How would one approach someone who is considering suicide, or is at high risk of completing it?
What are important factors to consider before beginning to apprach someone with suicidal ideation?

Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation

The image above is taken from my mentor's website which entails her credentials and other information regarding her practice.

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?

My mentor is Dr. Maureen Burney and her current place of employment is at the Chino Mental Health Associates, where she works as the director of psychology for her private practice of therapy.

What I believe makes my mentor an expert, is not just the years of study she did to complete her doctorate in psychology, but also the time, dedication and mass experience in different branches within the the overarching dome that is psychology; having it be work with troubled children or in the suicide unit at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, my mentor has reached out to each branch in order to get a taste of what each one is like.

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1. Was the field of psychology something that you always knew you would be invested in or was it something you discovered when you entered college?
2. What made you decide to become a private practitioner?
3. What type of experiences would you say are the most beneficial when you decided what branch of psychology you wanted to specialize in?
4. How many years have you dedicated your life in the field of psychology?
5. What would you consider the most rewarding aspect of your career?
6. In addition to having sessions with patients, what is demanded from you as a therapist (patients, maintaining license, seminars, etc.)?