1st Step: Suicide Prevention for Healthcare Providers

At the completion of this activity, healthcare providers will be able to:

1. ¿Identify populations at elevated risk for suicide, including individuals with psychiatric illness, PTSD, substance use disorders, chronic stress, or grief.
2. ¿Apply evidence-based screening tools such as the PHQ-9 and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale to assess suicide risk.
3. ¿Collaborate with interprofessional team members to initiate referral, safety planning, and follow-up actions after identifying suicide risk.
4. ¿Conduct a structured suicide risk assessment to determine level of risk and guide clinical response.
5. ¿Develop treatment and care strategies for individuals at risk of suicide, including safety planning, therapeutic interventions, and family involvement.
6. ¿Recognize and respond to signs of imminent harm, including self-injurious behaviors and access to lethal means.
7. ¿Describe Veteran-specific suicide risk factors and outline targeted prevention strategies.
8. ¿Explain legal and ethical responsibilities in suicide prevention, including duty to warn, confidentiality, and documentation.
9. ¿Identify effective roles for first responders and strategies for interprofessional collaboration in suicide prevention.
10. ¿Discuss emerging best practices in suicide prevention, including postvention and digital innovations.

¿ ¿At the completion of this activity, assistants, aids, support staff, and pharmacy technicians will be able to:

1. ¿Identify common suicide risk factors relevant to healthcare environments
2. ¿Describe primary methods of suicide and implications for patient safety¿¿