U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress 2015

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the latest nation-wide epidemiological data. One goal of the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is to develop and promote effective clinical and professional practices, and there are a number of specific programs and strategies that have been designated as best practices or that approach a standard of care. This session will provide an update for clinicians in empirically-based assessment and management of suicidality and will be led by interprofessional experts in national, VA, and regional initiatives. Morton Silverman, MD, will present the risk assessment and risk formulation of the patient with suicidality. Mark De Santis, PsyD, MS, will describe the use of the Self-Directed Violence (SDV) Classification System Clinical Tool and the patient Safety Plan. Janet York, PhD, RN, will focus on training clinicians in a systematic assessment, management, and tracking system, such as the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), and its clinical tool, the Suicide Status Form (SSF). Presenters will highlight national initiatives, trends, research, and innovations as they relate to clinical practice and current gaps in knowledge and practice.