Discussion: Suicide Risk Assessment
Discussion: Suicide Risk Assessment
Not every client who enters the clinical setting will be experiencing suicidal ideation. However, it is important to be aware that higher rates of suicide do occur in the adult male and elderly/aging adult male populations (Hedegaard et al., 2021). So, what does this mean for practice? Social workers must be aware of the warning signs and use those signs to gauge whether a formal risk assessment is needed.
A suicide risk assessment is one of the most vital tools you will ever use as a social worker. The questions may seem simple on the surface, but they can facilitate an open discussion about mental health while supporting suicide prevention. Some agencies use their own system for assessing suicide, whereas others employ the widely distributed and evidence-based Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
For this Discussion, you engage with a new client via interactive media and use the C-SSRS to screen them for suicide risk.
Reference: Hedegaard, H., Curtin, S. C., & Warner, M. (2021, February). Suicide mortality in the United States, 1999–2019 (NCHS Data Brief No. 398).
To Prepare
- Access and review the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) in the Learning Resources. Select one of the Screeners to use for this Discussion.
- Navigate through the Military Veteran interactive media piece and engage with the client. Using the C-SSRS, assess the client’s suicide risk.
By Day 3
Post your assessment of the client’s suicide risk. Identify the risk and protective factors that led you to this assessment. Then, explain what further steps and/or interventions you would take as the client’s social worker, based on the suicide risk assessment.
Required Readings
Brandell, J. R. (Ed.). (2020). Theory & practice in clinical social work (3rd ed.). Cognella.
- Chapter 8, “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Adults” (pp. 147–174)
- Chapter 9, “Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy With Adults” (pp. 175–220)
- Chapter 26, “Clinical Social Work With Suicidal Youth and Adults” (pp. 610–635)
American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Online assessment measures. https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/assessment-measures
Columbia Lighthouse Project. (n.d.). The Columbia protocol for healthcare and other community settings. https://cssrs.columbia.edu/the-columbia-scale-c-ssrs/cssrs-for-communities-and-healthcare
- Scroll down and select one of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Screeners for use in the Discussion. Note that you can also review the Full Scale on this page.
Required Media
Military Veteran
Time Estimate: 6-8 minutes
Note: The video below is interactive. Click the play button and use the buttons to navigate through the piece.
Answer preview to Discussion: Suicide Risk Assessment
APA
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