A Clinical Roadmap for Suicide-Specific Care
The Suicide Status Form (SSF) is a comprehensive, multipurpose tool guiding the CAMS Approach®. Providers and patients work together closely to review the client’s history of suicidal behavior and create a personalized treatment plan. This approach encourages active participation from the client in therapy and assists clinicians in designing a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy tailored to the individual’s needs.
The SSF also serves as the medical record to reduce malpractice liability.
CAMS utilizes the SSF in three phases:
- Beginning (the index first session of initial assessment and treating planning)
- Middle (the interim sessions of CAMS that begin with SSF Core Assessments, focusing on treating suicidal drivers, and treatment plan updates)
- End (the final session of CAMS and the completion of the Outcome/Disposition SSF)
CAMS Session Breakdown & Progress Guide
Session 1 of CAMS
The “Collaborative Assessment” (Pages 1 to 4)
The “Collaborative Assessment” of CAMS that develops trust and engagement between the patient and clinician.
- Page 1 – Patient completes Section A which includes rating their pain and reasons for living and dying
- Page 2 – The clinician asks questions of the patient and completes the Treatment Plan (Sections B & C)
- Page 3 – The CAMS Stabilization Plan, which includes strategies such as restricting access to lethal means, alternative coping in suicidal crises, emergency contact information, and removing any obstacles hindering treatment attendance.
- Page 4 – Clinician Post-session Evaluation, which is part of the medical record where the clinician documents the patient’s mental status, diagnosis and case notes (Section D)
Session 2 & Ongoing Sessions
Treatment of the Drivers (Pages 5-6)
In interim sessions, patients begin by reviewing Section A of the Suicide Status Form. Most of the session focuses on addressing the drivers of suicidality, using various techniques like DBT, CBT, and mindfulness. At the end of the session, we update the CAMS Treatment Plan in Section B. We refer to Pages 5 and 6 of the SSF until we observe significant improvement in managing suicidal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors consistently over three sessions. This progress suggests readiness to advance to the final phase of CAMS.
Outcome/Disposition Phase (Pages 7-8)
In this final session of CAMS, the clinician and patient agree that the patient is able to manage their suicidal thoughts and feelings. The next steps could include determining an optimal outcome and disposition.
Uses & Applications of the Suicide Status Form in the Modern Medical World
The Suicide Status Form in Electronic Medical Records
Guilford Press, the publisher of Dr. Jobes’s book on CAMS, Managing Suicidal Risk, 3rd Edition, a Collaborative Approach, has licensed CAMS-care to work with Electronic Medical Records companies to include the SSF in treatment platforms.
Using the Suicide Status Form with Telehealth
For ways to use the SSF with telehealth refer to our Telehealth resources.
Using the Suicide Status Form with Youth
There’s increasing evidence supporting the effectiveness of CAMS for youth. Teenagers grasp the CAMS Framework and respond positively to the Suicide Status Form. At the Hope Institute in Perrysburg, Ohio, where many school referrals are received, teenagers are stabilizing within an average of 5 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
The SSF has been translated into other languages and access is made on a case-by-case basis for clinicians who have been properly trained by CAMS-care.
There are two ways to have access to SSF copies—through purchase and ownership of the Guilford Press book Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach 3rd Ed which enables a provider to access a web-based version of the tool or to photocopy the document directly from the book as per the limited copyright permission that is afforded by owning the book. Alternatively, you may access the SSF through your CAMS-care account.