Date: December 13, 2023
This Healthcare study evaluates Crisis Care, a telehealth-adapted version of the CAMS Framework®, delivered to 130 outpatient patients over 16 weeks. Findings show fast access to care and reductions in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation across all patient groups, supporting telehealth CAMS as a scalable option for treating suicide risk in outpatient settings.
Authors: J. Conor O’Neill, Erin T. O’Callaghan, Scott Sullivan and Mirène Winsbe
Can a single 60-minute session make a meaningful difference for inpatients experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors? Inpatient psychiatric care for this population remains highly variable, and patient-centered behavioral interventions are often absent at the level one setting. The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality Brief Intervention (CAMS-BI) was designed to address this gap.
This dissertation by Phoebe McCutchan examines whether the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) — a suicide-focused therapy — offers economic advantages over standard care for recently discharged psychiatric patients. Using data from a randomized controlled trial, the study finds that CAMS was less costly, comparably or more effective at reducing suicidal ideation, and more cost-effective and cost-beneficial than standard care, suggesting it delivers better value in resource-constrained healthcare settings.
Much of what is done in the name of clinical care for suicidal risk is based a well-established history that centers on controlling a person who is suicidal largely out of fear and a presumption that providers know best what the person needs. Importantly, clinical research is increasingly showing that many common practices for suicidal risk are ineffective or may actually increase risk. This presentation systematically reviews the history of dealing with suicidal risk from its medieval origins, through decades of a carceral medical model approach, right up to present day suicide-focused interventions that reliably and effectively decrease suicidal suffering and related behaviors. This presentation separates fact from fiction–what actually works based on clinical science, in marked contrast to largely fear-based clinical practices that have little to no empirical support too often relying on habit or wishful thinking. To this end, the presentation considers screening for suicidal risk, the use of voluntary and involuntary hospitalization, safety-plan type interventions and other acute interventions, as well as suicide-focused treatments that reliably reduce suicidal risk. Various challenges to enhancing clinical suicide care are considered along with recommendations for the way forward.
David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor of Psychology, Director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory, and Associate Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic University of America. Dr. Jobes is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, at Uniformed Services University. He is the author of seven books and hundreds of articles and book chapters. He is the creator of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) and one of the founders of CAMS-care, LLC (a professional training and consultation company). Dr Jobes is the recipient of many awards such as the 2022 Alfred M. Wellner Award for Lifetime Achievement (for research excellence) from the National Register of Health Service Psychologists and the 2025 “Erwin Ringel Service Award” for contributions to suicide prevention from the International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP). He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and is board certified in clinical psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology). Dr. Jobes maintains a private clinical and consulting practice in Washington DC and in Maryland.
In addition to serving as a CAMS-care Senior Consultant, Dr. Kevin Crowley works as a Staff Psychologist at Capital Institute for Cognitive Therapy, LLC, and as a Lecturer at The Catholic University of America. He has conducted risk assessments, delivered suicide-specific treatments, and provided suicide-focused consultation and training through the VA Health Care System and outpatient private practices since 2010. He has also been involved in several suicide-focused program evaluations and formal research projects through The Catholic University of America’s Suicide Prevention Laboratory (Washington, DC) and the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention (Denver, CO). Dr. Crowley’s research to date has emphasized brief interventions for reducing shame and suicide risk, understanding suicide “drivers,” and considerations for optimizing the effectiveness of suicide-focused training. He has presented this research and offered clinical workshops at the annual conventions of both the American Association of Suicidology and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
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Because of our rising suicide rate, the United States Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, called mental health the “defining health crisis of our time.” Despite many countries having had suicide prevention strategies for decades, we see a general lack of investment with suicide rates increasing in many settings and suicide-related inequities. The majority of people who die by suicide were not engaged in mental health services in the months before their deaths. This indicates the need to also advance a public health approach to suicide rather than primarily relying on the crisis and mental health systems for suicide prevention. Suicide prevention approaches must be engaging, culturally relevant and meet people where they are by spanning multiple community service sectors (e.g., schools, colleges/universities, healthcare, justice system, child welfare, etc.) and social media. The epidemiology of suicide, risk factors for suicide, the national context, and suicide research evidence are shifting which could point to possible new directions for suicide prevention.
Dr. Holly Wilcox is founder and Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention. She is also a Professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with joint appointments in the Department of Health Policy and Management as well as the schools of medicine and education. Holly uses research to advance public health approaches to suicide prevention, including policies, early intervention, and chain of care approaches. Holly serves as President of the International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR), on the national board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and as a consultant on suicide prevention for the WHO.
David Jobes, PhD, ABPP, is the founder of CAMS-care, LLC. He began his career in 1987 in the Counseling Center of the Catholic University of America, where he developed a suicide risk assessment tool for college students that evolved into CAMS. Dr. Jobes is now a Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of Clinical Training at Catholic; he has trained thousands of mental health professionals in the United States and abroad in evidence-based assessment and treatment of suicide risk and the use of CAMS.
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Dr. Lena Heilmann, Director of the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP), provided an overview of Colorado’s comprehensive approach to suicide prevention, including the programs OSP funds and leads; Colorado-specific suicide-related data and data systems; a deeper dive into the Colorado-National Collaborative and OSP’s emphasis on suicide-specific care; how OSP works to meet the needs of all Colorado communities, including priority populations that face unique challenges and barriers that can increase risk of suicide; how OSP funds its programs through braided fundings and federal grants; the Colorado Suicide Prevention Commission and collaborations with partners across the state through its five active workgroups covering the programs we run and fund through OSP; what a comprehensive approach is; what the CNC is; that we work to meet the needs of all Colorado communities, including priority populations; which federal grants we have and how we implement them; provide an overview of the Commission and workgroups; and show some Colorado-specific data.
Lena Heilmann (she/hers), PhD, MNM, is the Director of the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention (which is housed within CDPHE). The Office of Suicide Prevention’s mission is to serve as the lead entity for suicide prevention, intervention supports, and postvention efforts in Colorado, collaborating with communities statewide to reduce the number of suicide deaths and attempts. Lena leads a team of eleven people who are passionate about reducing the impact of suicide in Colorado. Lena leads suicide prevention responses to media inquiries, provides subject matter expertise to legislation, serves as the Co-Chair for the Suicide Prevention Commission, is accountable to meeting statutory mandates for the Office, and serves as PI on two SAMHSA grants: GLS Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention and the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Lena is fiercely committed to equity in the Office’s approach to comprehensive suicide prevention and had led various initiatives to center community voice, lived experience, and to address disparities impacting Coloradans.
Lena’s passion for this work comes directly from her lived experience. In 2012, Lena lost her only sister Danielle to suicide. Lena’s world and identity shattered with the loss of her soulmate sister. In order to survive this traumatic grief and to honor her sister, Lena decided to leave her career as a German and Gender/Women’s Studies professor and turned to a life of suicide prevention. She connected with sibling suicide loss survivors and compiled a book-length collection of essays titled Still With Us: Voices of Sibling Suicide Loss Survivors, which the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) recognized by awarding Lena with the 2021 AAS Suicide Loss Survivor of the Year Award. Lena volunteers for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)’s Healing Conversations program.
David Jobes, PhD, ABPP, is the founder of CAMS-care, LLC. He began his career in 1987 in the Counseling Center of the Catholic University of America, where he developed a suicide risk assessment tool for college students that evolved into CAMS. Dr. Jobes is now a Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of Clinical Training at Catholic; he has trained thousands of mental health professionals in the United States and abroad in evidence-based assessment and treatment of suicide risk and the use of CAMS.
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In this suicide prevention month webinar, Dr. Jobes will discuss recent updates based on clinical trial research, clinical use of CAMS, and training developments related to CAMS. With five on-going randomized controlled trials and a series of recent publications, there is much news to report on all things CAMS. Dr. Jobes will then be joined by Dr. Ray Tucker who will present on the emerging use of CAMS as a single-session brief inpatient and/or emergency department intervention with promising preliminary evidence. There are now several new research efforts to replicate and extend early CAMS-BI™ findings. Join us for this exciting update and introduction to CAMS BI as a novel and much needed suicide-focused brief intervention.
David Jobes, PhD, ABPP, is the founder of CAMS-care, LLC. He began his career in 1987 in the Counseling Center of the Catholic University of America, where he developed a suicide risk assessment tool for college students that evolved into CAMS. Dr. Jobes is now a Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of Clinical Training at Catholic; he has trained thousands of mental health professionals in the United States and abroad in evidence-based assessment and treatment of suicide risk and the use of CAMS.
Associate Professor of Psychology, Louisiana State University (LSU)
Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC)/Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL),
Raymond P. Tucker is a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at Louisiana State University. There he teaches undergraduate courses in psychology, graduate courses in clinical psychology, and founded the LSU Mitigation of Suicidal Behavior research laboratory. As a clinical assistant professor of psychology at LSUHSC/OLOL, he trains medical staff/students in suicide-specific evidence-based assessment and intervention protocols.
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In a 2021 proclamation, President Biden stated “My Administration is committed to advancing suicide prevention best practices and improving non-punitive crisis response.” This and other mandates for suicide care have come from the Joint Commission and system change recommendations from national Zero Suicide programs. Because of these efforts there has been substantial expansion of suicide screening and assessment as well as safety planning, but treatment has lagged behind. As a result, patients and families are often referred to the emergency department even when an outpatient intervention is better suited to their immediate needs. This approach results in overwhelmed systems and negative experiences for patients and providers. The new Suicide Care Research Center at the University of Washington is working to improve the design and delivery of suicide specific care in outpatient medical settings, so they are effective, feasible in busy clinic environments and supportive of adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients, their providers, and their families. This presentation will highlight the need for a paradigm shift in suicide care, describe our innovative integration of human centered design and optimization in the development of new interventions, and showcase some example interventions and interventions under development.
Kate Comtois, PhD, MPH is a professor and clinical psychologist in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and director of the UW Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery (CSPAR) and the Suicide Care Research Center (SCRC) – an NIMH-funded practice-based research center. Dr. Comtois’ career is dedicated to promoting the recovery of individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and behavior and the effectiveness and resilience of the clinical staff and families who care for them. This is the focus of her clinical work and training as well as her health services, treatment development, clinical trials, and implementation research.
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This webinar provides a major update on the use of CAMS focused on the third and final edition of “Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach” published by Guilford Press. This webinar delves into the latest research and tools presented in the new book, written for mental health clinicians dedicated to treating their patients experiencing serious thoughts of suicide.
Explore the key highlights of the new book, including the:
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from Dr. Jobes during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Hosted by Dr. Kevin Crowley, clinical psychologist, private practitioner and CAMS Consultant.
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In this webinar, Thomas Joiner, Ph.D. discusses the topic of Empirical, Clinical, and Conceptual Evidence Converges to Indicate Good Support for the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide.
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