Description

Created by Dr. Julie Cerel at the University of Kentucky, CODE RED is a universal safety planning program in which people make their own safety plan before they are suicidal or in crisis. CODE RED was added to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Evidence Based Registry in August 2026. This 3 hour session will teach individuals to be a CODE RED facilitator who is able to deliver CODE RED to groups. Successful completion will certify CODE RED facilitator status for three years. 

CODE RED uses evidence‑based strategies to help people feel grounded, safe, and supported with the ultimate goal of reducing suicide risk and preventing suicide. CODE RED can be delivered in a variety of settings, including schools, workplaces, community and faith‑based organizations, and is appropriate for both adults and youth (12+). During a CODE RED session, individuals build their own step-by-step safety plan, which is practical, easy to follow, and tailored to what helps them feel grounded, safe, and supported. These plans are oriented around four essential areas: COntact, DElay, RElax, and Distract. It also includes 988 education to help individuals understand that 988 is available to anyone who feels in crisis. 

CODE RED is based on the idea that everyone, not just those deemed “at-risk,” should have a safety plan in place for their “worst day” before it occurs. CODE RED can be thought of as similar to having a safety plan in anticipation of an emergency such as a fire (i.e., drill plan) or severe storm (i.e., duck and cover). However, in this case, the emergency is a personal mental health crisis, which could happen to anyone. CODE RED delivery takes about an hour and includes education and facilitated support to help individuals create personalized safety plans in which they identify helpful “COntacts,” reasons to “DElay” decisions, and means to “RElax” and “Distract” from their crisis and/or suicidal thoughts before they occur.

Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the purpose and core components of CODE RED Universal Safety Planning. 

• Compare and contrast CODE RED with other suicide prevention approaches. 

• Create a CODE RED Universal Safety Plan using the CODE RED framework. 

• Demonstrate effective CODE RED facilitation skills required to obtain facilitator certification. 

Delivery Method
 Synchronous distance learning

Cost
$399.00

Credit Hours
3 ACE

Accreditation

University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Provider # 1377, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/29/25-9/29/28. Social workers completing this course receive 3.0 general continuing education credits.   

 

Instructor

Dr. Julie Cerel 

Dr. Cerel is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. She is the director of the Suicide Prevention & Exposure Lab at the University of Kentucky and the Wilson Profession of Mental Health. Her research has focused on suicide exposure and bereavement, suicide attempt survivors and suicide prevention. She developed CODE RED, a universal safety planning intervention which has been used by over 15,000 people to plan for their worst day. CODE RED was added to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Evidence Based Registry in August 2026. 

Dr. Cerel is a Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology. She completed her PhD from The Ohio State University, an internship and post-doctoral fellowship from West Virginia University in child clinical psychology and a post-doctoral fellowship specifically in suicide prevention from University of Rochester. She received an honorary PhD from Kenyon College. In 2023 she was elected a fellow of the American Psychology Association and in 2026 became a fellow of the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. She received the 2025 International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) Norman Farberow Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Bereavement and Lived Experience. She is the author of over 135 academic publications and co-author of Seeking Hope: Stories of the Suicide Bereaved. Her work has been funded by the Military Suicide Research Consortium from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Patient Centered Research Initiative (PCORI), NIHM, the CDC, SAMHSA, SPAN-USA and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She is regularly quoted by the media and has appeared in NBC news, NPR, O Magazine and Teen Vogue. 

 

Dr. Leah Murphy 

Leah Murphy, PhD is the Lab Manager and CODE RED lead for the Suicide Prevention and Exposure Lab (SPEL) at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. Dr. Murphy received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from New York University. Dr. Murphy has been integral in the development of CODE RED, a universal safety planning intervention which has been used by over 15,000 people to plan for their worst day. CODE RED was added to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Evidence Based Registry in August 2026. 

How to Claim Credit
You must attend the training in its entirety and complete an evaluation form.  Attendance will be verified using Zoom attendance reports. 

Cancellation/Refund Policy
If this course is canceled, you will be contacted and given the option of a full refund or a course credit to be used within 1 year.

Questions
Contact Christina.krantz@uky.edu with any questions regarding this course, registration assistance or to request accommodations.