Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide

Course overview

This course is based on material published by the VA/DoD and is an evidence-based practice summary. It is available as an open-access article. This is an updated CPG that includes objective, evidence-based information on the assessment and management of suicide risk. It is intended to assist healthcare providers in all aspects of patient care, including, but not limited to, screening, assessment, and management. The system-wide goal of evidence-based guidelines is to improve the patients health and well-being by guiding health providers who are caring for patients at risk for suicide along management pathways that are supported by evidence. This course on the assessment and management of patients at risk for suicide is designed for counselors, social workers, mental health practitioners, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to enhance their skills in assessing and managing patients at risk for suicide. The course material includes a literature review of interventions and research. It is evidence-based practice guidelines. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading, and others do not. A significant benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is that they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Veteran Administration and the Department of Defense Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the assessment and management of patients at risk of suicide. Specifically, a professional will: Describe how to assess the patients condition and determine, in collaboration with the patient, the best treatment method Identify how to optimize each individuals health outcomes and improve quality of life Recognize how to minimize preventable complications and morbidity Recognize the importance of the use of patient-centered care (PCC) Citation: VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide Versions 2.0 2019.