STARS protocol (STARS-p) Training - Register Your Interest

Following several years of successful and evidence-based delivery of the STARS-p training program to various organisations and individuals across Australia, we are excited to open our expression of interest page for individuals looking to undertake STARS-p training in 2024.

2024 Cohorts have closed - 2025 Cohort dates will be announced soon!

Spots are limited so places will be allocated on a first in first served basis. The price for the STARS-p training program is $1,050 GST ex per person and includes access to the online modules (inclusive of free downloadable research articles; mini lectures, interactive reflections and activities) and a 1-day skills-based webinar workshop. Further, all eligible participants will receive a certificate of completion from AISRAP, Griffith University, a license number to use STARS-p and a Digital Badge from Griffith University.

STARS-p is a person-centred, psychosocial needs-based semi-structured interview, which assesses client suicidality. It was developed to provide an initial insight into the complex world of a suicidal person to inform immediate collaborative and compassionate client care, including further examination of suicidality as necessary.

Access our Program Brochure

Download Here

Course Introduction

The aims of STARS-p training program

  • To enhance worker capability in administration of STARS protocol for assessing client suicidality, in a compassionate manner which includes addressing client safety and documentation of minimum standard of client care.
  • To enhance worker understanding of the client's story by enticing worker reflection on the client rated concerns of contributing factors towards the suicidal state and experience.
  • To assist and guide workers on ways to elicit key client reported concerns subjectively perceived to contribute to suicidality.
  • To provide workers with guiding domains of enquiry concerning empirically based risk and protective factor information, short-term or proximal indicators of suicide risk (e.g. warning signs), and current and past suicidality contexts (based on the subjective meaning of these factors for the client).
  • To build on existing worker capabilities around the process of suicide risk assessment and response, including documentation of actions taken to bring a client towards a life worth living.

Meet your facilitator - Dr Jacinta Hawgood

Jacinta is the lead author of Systematic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality (STARS) protocol published first in 2015, and updated in 2018. She is the Co-ordinator of STARS training workshops delivered nationally and internationally to a range of allied health, health, emergency, welfare, and community workers. She has worked clinically with those in suicidal distress and those bereaved by suicide for 20 years and has supervised other psychologists in this domain for over a decade. Jacinta provides expert advice and guidance on suicide risk assessment to state and national government departments and private organisations nationally. Jacinta has worked on numerous research projects and consultancies in the suicide prevention sector pertaining mostly to suicide prevention training evaluation including lived experience suicide prevention training, but also personal suicide stigma and impacts of suicide on the worker.

Please register your interest below.

2024  Cohorts have closed, register your interest below and we will let you know when our 2025 Cohort dates are available.

For any questions please contact  stars@griffith.edu.au

What if I can’t complete my course?

If you have been unable to complete your registered STARS-p training cohort within the timeframe given [inclusive of having utilised any extension requests which may be granted if training can be completed prior to the specified webinar], unfortunately, you will have to forfeit your registration and pay the full amount again if you wish to re-enrol. However, under extenuating circumstances to be determined by the STARS-p Training Coordinator, there may be an opportunity to discuss alternative arrangements concerning transfer to another training cohort for a training fee to be determined. In any case where approval to transfer has been granted, there will be a $50 user licence transfer fee that will need to be paid. Payment of this transfer fee will be online via credit card and a payment link supplied by Griffith University.     

What if my organisation has paid for my registration and I can’t complete the course?
If an employee is unable to attend a cohort for which they have been appointed or enrolled, then the employer may organise a transfer of that person's enrolment to another employee within the same organisation only if the person enrols in the same cohort and attends one of the related webinars. That is, they should not be transferred to any other intake of STARS-p training at another time of the year nor attend any other webinar other than those allocated to the specific cohort of enrolment. Only under extenuating circumstances to be determined by the STARS-p Training Coordinator, will there be an opportunity to discuss any alternative arrangements concerning transfer of participant enrolment. 
Please note – in the rare instance that a transfer of a trainee is agreed to/approved by the Training Coordinator, there is a $50 user licence transfer fee that will need to be paid. Payment of this transfer fee will be online via credit card and a payment link supplied by Griffith University.