Malpractice Liability Treating Suicidal Patients

The CAMS Framework® Can Reduce Malpractice Liability

“Good documentation stops a lawyer in his tracks. CAMS and the Suicide Status Form has great documentation.”

Skip Simpson

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson, one of the country’s leading lawyers in the field of suicide malpractice litigation

At CAMS-care we understand that malpractice lawsuits often keep good, competent therapists from treating suicidal patients. But we know that with proper documentation, using evidence-based suicide-specific treatment, the threat of malpractice is slim to none.

One of the foundations of the CAMS framework is having the patient complete portions of the “Suicide Status Form” (SSF) in collaboration with the clinician. The SSF is used in every session, assessing suicide risk and carefully documenting the patient’s suicide-focused treatment plan. CAMS medical record documentation is collaboratively completed with the patient in the course of each session and can help significantly reduce exposure to malpractice liability. In other words, CAMS facilitates the completion of an exhaustive level of medical record documentation pertaining to suicide-focused assessment, treatment planning, and clinical follow-through thereby decreasing exposure to malpractice liability by ensuring competent clinical practice that far exceeds the standard of care.

GET CAMS TRAINED

We offer an online training opportunity that specifically addresses malpractice liability when working with suicidal patients and illustrates how the use of CAMS Framework and Suicide Status Form (SSF) can significantly decrease this liability. 1 CE credit available.

 

“The CAMS model and training tools have very quickly helped us to feel more confident and prepared to manage risky patients…I have yet to find a comparable framework that is as accessible to clinicians and yet so robust.”

Eric Lewandowski

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Co-Director, Pediatric Depression and Suicide Initiative, NYU Langone Health