Where You Work: Intensive Outpatient

KVC Health Systems’ 6-Step Guide to Implementing CAMS with Private Funding

Date: February 18, 2026

KVC encourages ongoing training to support our teams in providing high-quality, evidence-based services to their clients.

 

“Nearly every person in this world has been touched by suicide in some way.”

Dr. Megan Moore sees this reality every day. As the Senior Director of Innovation and Impact with KVC Behavioral HealthCare Kentucky, a subsidiary of KVC Health Systems, she’s worked tirelessly alongside her 2,800 colleagues across 65 locations in five states to eradicate suicide, which takes about 50,000 lives in the U.S. each year.

Moore knew that achieving this ambitious goal wouldn’t be possible overnight. But by equipping clinicians with the competence and confidence to deliver timely, individualized care, including treating the drivers of each patient’s suicidal ideation, KVC could strengthen its approach to suicide prevention and save more lives.

In 2024, together with Chad Anderson, LSCSW, KVC’s Chief Clinical Officer based in Kansas, who brought deep clinical expertise and system-wide leadership, they integrated the evidence-based Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework into their system of care. With an engaged cohort of leaders and clinicians, private philanthropic funding, and a collaborative partnership with CAMS-care, the KVC team moved from concept to implementation in just four months.

KVC’s early results of clinician engagement and patient outcomes are incredibly exciting. Their practical six-step approach offers a replicable blueprint for other mental health organizations with limited time and resources to similarly strengthen their suicide prevention practices and join us in advancing a world without suicide.

Connection as the Foundation for Saving Lives

At the heart of both KVC and CAMS is the shared belief that connection saves lives. Connection is what fosters health and healing. In suicide prevention, connection is especially critical, both in terms of a patient’s relation to family and community and ensuring a coordinated approach to services. When a person who is suicidal has access to timely, individualized, and connected care at the ideation stage, we can minimize the risk of ideation becoming behavior. Fewer attempts mean fewer deaths and lower health system costs.

At KVC, connection is ingrained across its entire system of care. Through their Safe and Connected™ practice model, they support families and communities with high-quality mental health and family-strengthening services spanning the continuum of care from in-home to inpatient treatment. Access to healthcare (both physical and mental) and community support is limited in rural areas. In the past two decades, suicide rates have increased 46% in non-metro areas (compared to 27.3% in metro areas). Many of KVC’s locations are in rural communities to meet this growing need for services, often providing in-home treatment and wraparound support, where access to services can be limited, and transportation is a barrier for those who need it most.

CAMS is an evidence-based, suicide-focused framework that operationalizes this approach to suicide prevention. Dr. Mariam Gregorian, CAMS Consultant, explains, “The CAMS Framework® is the most effective treatment for the largest population — the 16.9 million Americans who experience serious thoughts of suicide each year.” Through its collaborative, flexible process, clinicians and patients jointly identify and treat the personal drivers of suicidality as early as possible. It also serves as an umbrella framework that integrates seamlessly into existing models of care, strengthening what clinicians are already doing while aligning teams around a shared, proactive prevention strategy.

The natural synergy between KVC’s connection-first culture and CAMS’ focus on proactively and collaboratively treating suicidal drivers planted the seeds for change.

Discovering CAMS to Treat Suicidal Drivers

KVC’s first exposure to CAMS happened in the early 2000s. Megan Moore met Dr. Melinda Moore, CAMS Consultant, suicide loss survivor, and professor at Eastern Kentucky University, at a training hosted by her agency in Lexington, KY. What Megan Moore learned about CAMS changed the way she thought about suicide. She no longer saw suicide as a symptom of depression, but as the specific focus of care.

Moore and Anderson were curious to learn more about CAMS and its potential to strengthen KVC’s approach to suicide prevention. They also wanted to bring in other members of their clinical leadership team for their feedback. Through both virtual and in-person conversations, Gregorian helped them understand their options and their advantages in a systemic way.

After previewing some of the CAMS training products, the KVC team became determined to integrate CAMS as an evidence-based practice into their system of care. Because no two patients are alike and insurance policies vary by state, Anderson envisioned adding CAMS as another tool in clinicians’ toolkits. Anderson recalls, “We saw how CAMS saves lives. Why wouldn’t we invest in it?”

Implementing CAMS into KVC’s System of Care

Moore and Anderson approached this process with thoughtfulness and intentionality to minimize resources and maximize impact. Here are the six steps that took them from planning to implementation.

Step 1: Identify and Empower Champions

Every system-wide change needs a strong leader behind it. For KVC, that was Moore and Anderson. They’re both visionaries with a deep understanding of both clinical practice and implementation science. They built momentum, provided ongoing support and communication, and kept their teams informed and engaged from pilot to implementation.

Step 2: Establish a Pilot Group

In January 2024, KVC launched a small, multidisciplinary pilot group. It consisted of approximately 32 clinicians and senior business leaders from its six subsidiaries: KVC Kansas, KVC Kentucky, KVC Missouri, KVC Nebraska, KVC West Virginia, and Camber Mental Health, KVC’s network of inpatient mental health hospitals and residential treatment centers.

Anderson describes, “We were all in it together.” Energy and engagement levels were high. The cohort established regular touch points and met consistently for 12 months. During this time, they received monthly consultation calls, peer support, and case review. Leadership actively participated alongside clinicians, ensuring they stayed in lock step throughout the process.

Step 3: Secure Funding

To begin the CAMS training process, KVC needed funding. Each of the six nonprofit subsidiaries operates independently, so each led respective efforts to secure funding. They focused their efforts on reaching out to existing networks, with support from their KVC Foundation team.

As a result of their outreach, an anonymous private funder awarded $25,000 to fund the CAMS pilot program to include 32 clinicians and trainers across the health system. The donor asked that KVC also use their gift to attract additional funders to support more clinicians and trainers beyond the pilot. While additional funding would be needed to scale, this first seed funding established a proof of concept to begin the CAMS training process.

Step 4: Conduct CAMS Trainings

In February 2024, 32 clinicians and clinical leaders participated and completed the CAMS Trained™ program. Throughout the program’s 10 hours of online coursework and 4 hours of consultation calls, KVC clinicians worked closely with Dr. Gregorian, Dr. Melinda Moore, and the entire CAMS team to gain direct skills, knowledge, and confidence to effectively assess and treat suicidal patients. This pilot group also completed role-play training and the CAMS-4Teens® training to learn how to work with adolescents and their parents/caregivers.

Moore, Anderson, and other cohort leaders stayed closely engaged throughout the training to ensure everyone continued to feel informed and empowered. Gregorian also remained involved to support the clinicians through consultation calls and answering questions as they arose.

Step 5: Put CAMS into Practice

The key to implementation would come from giving clinicians the opportunity to apply CAMS in practice and build their confidence.

In April 2024, 10-15 clinicians began utilizing CAMS with patients. This phased approach allowed the team to focus first on successful uptake of the model, ensuring clinicians felt supported as they navigated suicide-specific conversations and interventions using a new framework. Moore reconnected with Dr. Melinda Moore, the CAMS-care Consultant who hosted the role-play training and consultation calls for the cohort.

Step 6: Scale Across the System of Care

After the initial CAMS training and implementation with 32 clinicians across the health system, KVC continued seeking funding to scale the model.

KVC Kansas secured a new $35,000 grant from the state to train 40 more clinicians in CAMS and the team began to identify and create a plan.

Camber Mental Health, KVC’s team of inpatient and residential psychiatric treatment experts, budgeted $18,000 to train 12 therapists in CAMS (3 per campus). They plan to seek state funding to train the remainder of their clinicians in CAMS.

In 2025, the State of Kansas made a second gift of $35,000 to train staff in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), to treat the drivers identified in the CAMS Framework and strengthen treatment for youth experiencing foster care.

The Kentucky team also found local partners who wanted to invest in suicide prevention in the community. In May 2025, Lexington, KY-based Valvoline, a national leader in automotive maintenance, partnered with KVC Kentucky by contributing funding to train 53 clinicians in CAMS.. Valvoline’s donation also provided long-term sustainability of the model, funding three licensed practitioners to become CAMS trainers.

In total, in just under two years, KVC has trained 100 clinicians in CAMS across three subsidiaries. Their goal is to train all 450 clinicians nationwide.

While all six of KVC’s local teams have recognized the benefits and plan to implement CAMS, their timelines have varied based on their ability to secure funding. KVC’s teams in Missouri, Nebraska and West Virginia are still in the process of seeking funding to begin training.

Leaning On Each Other to Save Lives

Implementing new and different modalities into your system of care takes work. It takes resources — time, money, and effort. For mental health organizations, many of whom are already stretched thin, implementing something new may feel overwhelming and complicated. Our hope is that this guide can provide a practical model for replicating KVC’s successful implementation through its dedicated leadership, efficient resource use, and collaborative partnership with CAMS.

One of the key components to strengthening your system of care is, of course, funding. Government grants used to be a primary source of funding for mental health services. But recent uncertainty emphasizes the importance of diversifying your pipeline so people can receive the right life-saving support at the right time.

Private philanthropic funding is a critical and effective source. Where to search for it may not be obvious at first. But sometimes we find it in the most unexpected and creative places— like the initial private funder who provided KVC with $25,000 to kickstart training or Valvoline’s larger partnership to save lives.

Anderson shares, “Anyone can do this. It’s not too expensive. It’s not out of reach. But you don’t need to do it alone. Lean on us. Take what KVC has learned and achieved as an organization, and do it even better.”

Please reach out to the CAMS-care team here to learn more. Connecting with you to help you strengthen your system of care is why we’re here.

We are made to live in connection with others. Together, we are committed to creating a world without suicide.

LEARN MORE: KVC Health Systems Funding Proposal Template

The Network Effect: Turning Connection into Protection in Suicide Prevention

Communities are made up of relationship networks, but we rarely consider how the structure of these networks—and the interaction between them—shapes suicide prevention. Prof. Tony Pisani reveals how shared trusted connections promote protection, why even small changes in networks make a difference, and how organizations can strengthen these networks to better serve people in their communities. Drawing on research and case examples from high schools, healthcare, and the military, Tony highlights innovative, network-informed approaches. Through reflective exercises, attendees will explore how these insights apply to their life, team, and work, leaving with actionable strategies to build networks that promote connection and wellbeing.

Holly Wilcox, PhD

About Tony Pisani, Ph.D.

Tony Pisani is a Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide and the founder of SafeSide Prevention has devoted his career to preventing suicide and promoting wellbeing, combining research at University of Rochester with practical implementation as the founder of SafeSide Prevention. Author of more than 40 peer-reviewed papers and host of the Never the Same Podcast, his work spans research, education, and real-world implementation across healthcare, military, and community settings in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

 

David A. Jobes, PhD

About David A. Jobes, Ph.D. ABPP

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.

Watch the Recorded Webinar On-Demand

Enter your information to gain access.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Suicidality

Posted on by erics

Please note the following post uses identity-first language, though acknowledges that preferences may differ between self-advocates.

Background

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by ongoing differences and challenges in social communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Research has highlighted increased early death in autistic individuals, and suicide is a primary cause (Cassidy et al., 2014). Autistic adults are at increased risk for suicide compared to non-autistic adults (Hedley et al., 2017). In a study of a large, diverse population of adults in the United States, the risk of suicide attempts was five times higher for autistic adults than for non-autistic adults (Croen et al., 2015). While suicide research has largely focused on autistic adults so far (McDonnell et al., 2020), autistic youth are also more likely to attempt and die by suicide (Navaneelan, 2012). A study of autistic individuals aged 4-20 years evaluated during a psychiatric hospital stay found that 22% of autistic youth commonly talked about death or suicide (Horowitz et al., 2018). While studies differ about exact prevalence rates, experts agree that there is reason for concern.

Despite the increase in research and autistic self-advocacy groups’ attention on this topic, there continues to be a major lack of tools to manage suicidal behaviors in the autistic population. Therapists feel less confident providing care to autistic individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts (Jager-Hyman et al., 2020). The good news is that there are efforts to validate screening tools for use with autistic adults, including screeners (e.g., SBQ-ASC, SIDAS-M, STUQ), and more in-depth assessment tools such as the Suicide Assessment Kit-Modified Interview (Hedley et al., 2025). However, these tools are designed for adults, and there are not yet appropriate for autistic youth. This is important when considering existing screening tools, given that autistic individuals may not always exhibit traditional suicide symptoms and warning signs. For example, autistic individuals may present with facial expressions which may not directly match their emotional experience (e.g., laughter when anxious or depressed) or have difficulty verbalizing their thoughts, feelings, and experiences when overwhelmed (Oliphant et al., 2020).

While quality access to mental health services is a problem for all children and adolescents, this challenge is worse for autistic individuals and their families (Cervantes et al., 2023). In fact, many providers do not accept autistic patients. In a study of over 6,000 outpatient mental health facilities in the United States, only half offered services to autistic children (Cantor et al., 2022), which is particularly concerning given this group’s increased mental health care needs. When these needs go unmet, autistic youth are more likely to present to Emergency Departments (EDs) (Badgett et al., 2023). Unfortunately, EDs and psychiatric hospitals are not designed for autistic individuals’ needs from both an environmental perspective (e.g., sensory sensitivities to bright lights, crowdedness, unpredictability) and a treatment standpoint (e.g., stigma related to mental health in medical settings, lack of training related to autistic learning styles, and behavior management techniques). Sadly, this can then lead to negative or traumatic experiences, inappropriate treatments, excessive interventions (e.g., physical or chemical restraints, seclusion), and longer admissions (Gabriels et al., 2012; Klinepeter et al., 2024).

Adapting evidence-based suicide-focused treatments, such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) (Ritschel et al., 2022) and Safety Planning Intervention (Rodgers et al., 2023), remains an area of emerging research. Therefore, evidence-based suicidality treatment made for autistic individuals is a sparsely available, yet urgently needed service.

Clinical Insights

Unfortunately, many of the clinicians who treat suicidality or autism remained siloed in their respective treatment areas, without clear communication and overlap, despite extensive research and clinical experience on both sides. To treat suicidality in autism, it is necessary that these “worlds” collaborate, create synergistic relationships, and develop treatments to address this life-threatening phenomenon.

Recent work has suggested that some general changes to treatments can be helpful for autistic learning styles, such as visual supports, environment and sensory considerations, making language more concrete, caregiver collaboration, and embedding special interests into treatment (Schwartzman et al., 2021; Dickson et al., 2021).

As a result of this critical gap in services, a clinic was created to treat suicidality in autistic youth at a large children’s hospital, the Clinic for Autism and Suicide Prevention (CLASP). As mentioned above, collaboration between the autism center and the hospital’s department of behavioral and mental health was necessary and invaluable. The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS was) incorporated as the primary treatment framework when appropriate, and autism-specific interventions were then plugged in to address specific drivers. The CAMS Framework® identifies the “drivers” that a patient says make them consider suicide as an option.

For example, if a patient identified difficulty with change as a driver, an autism intervention, such as Unstuck and on Target, was used. If a patient identified loneliness as a driver, then social skills practice or PEERS videos were incorporated to improve relationships. Additionally, interventions such as cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy were often used to address many other drivers such as conflict with others, traumatic experiences, or difficulty managing strong emotions.

The clinic provides individual weekly therapy to autistic youth experiencing suicidality and has successfully discharged several patients due to reduced suicidality. We have learned many key insights from this clinic and from the powerful, brave work these patients are doing. Below are some recommendations for working with autistic clients who experience suicidality.

Recommendations for clinical practice:

  • Consider whether there are outside factors which can be addressed or managed. For example, if a patient is struggling with bullying, consider whether school can intervene. Remember that autistic are neurodivergent individuals living in a world designed for neurotypical needs!
  • Take your time and expect that treatment progress may take longer. Negative repetitive patterns can be “stickier” in autistic individuals and breaking out of these cycles can require more effort and time.
  • Create structure when possible. CAMS forms (e.g., the Suicide Status Form, the Stabilization Support Plan for parents and caregivers and the CAMS Therapeutic Worksheet) are a great way to introduce a visual form and help clients know what to expect from session to session.
  • Determine whether expressing suicidal thoughts is a form of communication and if so, consider what the patient is communicating and whether this can be addressed. For example, if a patient repeatedly makes suicidal comments when transitioning away from a preferred activity (e.g., video game, favorite location), consider working on transitions with behavioral strategies. Think about whether there are other ways the patient can communicate their frustration.
  • Discuss what happens both for the patient and others when they share suicidal thoughts. First, understand what the patient is feeling and why they are sharing. Next, while openness is important, some individuals may not be aware of the procedures certain organizations have to follow when someone makes a suicidal comment (e.g., school policies, medical staff) and explaining what to expect can help reduce emotional overload.
  • Help increase emotional awareness. In some autistic clients, the ramp up to a crisis moment can be much faster than in non-autistic individuals, so increasing emotional self-monitoring can improve their ability to access coping strategies earlier.
  • Do not assume that physical, social, or human contacts are the only way to reduce suicidal risk. Perhaps there are other non-human or non-physical connections which can be important for coping, such as a preferred stimming object, online video game friends, or an important pet. Stimming (i.e., repetitive self-soothing movements, such as pacing, rocking, humming, finger tapping) can be helpful both during therapy and as part of a stabilization plan.
  • Do not assume that all autistic patients need autism-specific treatments. This can create barriers and close important doors to care. Some autistic patients benefit from working with clinicians experienced in autism, though this is not necessary for every patient. Our saying is “when you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person!”

Most importantly, remember that autistic clients often have amazing and powerful insight into their emotional experiences that leads to suicidality. Start with the patient perspective first, gather additional information, and empower the client to work collaboratively toward a life worth living one small step at a time!

Below are several helpful resources available online including those developed by autistic self-advocates:

References

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edition). Arlington, VA: Author.

Badgett, N. M., Sadikova, E., Menezes, M., & Mazurek, M. O. (2023). Emergency department utilization among youth with autism spectrum disorder: exploring the role of preventive care, medical home, and mental health access. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(6), 2274-2282.

Cantor, J., McBain, R. K., Kofner, A., Stein, B. D., & Yu, H. (2022). Where are US outpatient mental health facilities that serve children with autism spectrum disorder? A national snapshot of geographic disparities. Autism, 26(1), 169-177.

Cassidy, S., Bradley, P., Robinson, J., Allison, C., McHugh, M., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2014). Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger’s syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: a clinical cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 1(2), 142-147. https://10.1016/S2215-0366(14)70248-2

Cervantes, P. E., Conlon, G. R., Seag, D. E., Feder, M., Lang, Q., Meril, S., … & Horwitz, S. M. (2023). Mental health service availability for autistic youth in New York City: An examination of the developmental disability and mental health service systems. Autism, 27(3), 704-713.

Klinepeter, E. A., Choate, J. D., Nelson Hall, T., & Gibbs, K. D. (2024). A “whole child approach”: parent experiences with acute care hospitalizations for children with autism spectrum disorder and behavioral health needs. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-15.

Croen, L., Zerbo, O., Qian, Y., Massolo, M., Rich, S., Sidney, S. & Kripke, C. (2015). The health status of adults on the autism spectrum. Autism, 19(7), 1-10. https://doi/abs/10.1177/1362361315577517

Gabriels, R. L., Agnew, J. A., Beresford, C., Morrow, M. A., Mesibov, G., & Wamboldt, M. (2012). Improving psychiatric hospital care for pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities. Autism research and treatment, 2012(1), 685053.

Hedley, D., Uljarević, M., Wilmot, M., Richdale, A., & Dissanayake, C. (2017). Brief report: social support, depression and suicidal ideation in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(11), 3669-3677. https://10.1007/s10803-017-3274-2

Hedley, D., Williams, Z. J., Deady, M., Batterham, P. J., Bury, S. M., Brown, C. M., … & Stokes, M. A. (2025). The Suicide Assessment Kit-Modified Interview: Development and preliminary validation of a modified clinical interview for the assessment of suicidal thoughts and behavior in autistic adults. Autism, 29(3), 766-787.

Horowitz, L. M., Thurm, A., Farmer, C., Mazefsky, C., Lanzillo, E., Bridge, J. A., Greenbaum, R., Pao, M., & Siegel, M. (2018). Talking about death or suicide: Prevalence and clinical correlates in youth with autism spectrum disorder in the psychiatric inpatient setting. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(11), 3702-3710. https://10.1007/s10803-017-3180-7

Jager-Hyman, S., Maddox, B. B., Crabbe, S. R., & Mandell, D. S. (2020). Mental health clinicians’ screening and intervention practices to reduce suicide risk in autistic adolescents and adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(10), 3450-3461.

McDonnell, C. G., DeLucia, E. A., Hayden, E. P., Anagnostou, E., Nicolson, R., Kelley, E., … & Stevenson, R. A. (2020). An exploratory analysis of predictors of youth suicide-related behaviors in autism spectrum disorder: implications for prevention science. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(10), 3531-3544. https://10.1007/s10803-019-04320-6

Navaneelan, T. (2012). Suicide rates: An overview. Ottawa (ON): Statistics Canada.

Oliphant, R. Y., Smith, E. M., & Grahame, V. (2020). What is the prevalence of self-harming and suicidal behaviour in under 18s with ASD, with or without an intellectual disability?. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(10), 3510-3524.

Ritschel, L. A., Guy, L., & Maddox, B. B. (2022). A pilot study of dialectical behaviour therapy skills training for autistic adults. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 50(2), 187-202.

Rodgers, J., Goodwin, J., Nielsen, E., Bhattarai, N., Heslop, P., Kharatikoopaei, E., … & Cassidy, S. (2023). Adapted suicide safety plans to address self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide behaviours in autistic adults: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial. Pilot and feasibility studies, 9(1), 31.

Fact vs Fiction: What Actually Works in Contemporary Clinical Suicidology- 2025 CAMS Update

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, PhD

About David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP

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.

Kevin Crowley, Ph.D.

About Kevin Crowley, Ph.D.

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.

Watch the Recorded Webinar On-Demand

Enter your information to gain access.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form

Healthcare System-based Case Formulation of Suicide Events after Acute Care

This presentation will focus on exploring foundational principles of healthcare system-based case formulation using the Exploratory, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) implementation science model. Learners will develop skills for applying the formulation approach to identify the proximal and distal causes of process failure within health systems that lead to adverse suicide-related events.

Edwin Boudreaux, PhD

About Edwin Boudreaux Ph.D.

Edwin D. Boudreaux, PhD, is a clinical health psychologist with a significant focus on suicide prevention and intervention. He holds the position of Professor of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, and Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the UMass Chan Medical School. Dr. Boudreaux is also the Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Emergency and Co-Director of the Center for Accelerating Practice to End Suicide (CAPES).
He received his undergraduate education at the University of Louisiana and earned his PhD from Louisiana State University, where he studied health psychology. He completed his internship at the Medical University of South Carolina, specializing in addiction treatment. Dr. Boudreaux is licensed as a clinical psychologist in Massachusetts and has a strong background in integrating behavioral health across various medical settings, including emergency medicine, inpatient, and primary care.

 

David A. Jobes, PhD

About David A. Jobes Ph.D. ABPP

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.

Watch the Recorded Webinar On-Demand

Enter your information to gain access.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form

Suicide in Healthcare Workers: U.S. Rates, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Posted on by STOLBER Digital
Suicide Risks of Healthcare Workers in the US - Feature Image

Healthcare workers play a crucial role in our world. From routine care to emergency situations, people in these professions are the ones we look to when we need care. However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, the healthcare field had a reputation of being difficult. Healthcare professionals have historically been overworked, underappreciated, and dealt with issues such as stress, burnout, and other negative mental health outcomes. 

Which Healthcare Workers Face the Highest Suicide Risk?

Between 2008 and 2019, a survey studied six types of healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses. It also looked at technicians, support staff, and social health workers, comparing them to workers outside of healthcare. The findings revealed that registered nurses, health technicians, and healthcare support workers were at a greater risk of suicide than non-healthcare workers. [1]

Healthcare Worker Suicide Rate: What the Latest U.S. Data Shows

It’s difficult to determine the exact number of healthcare workers who die by suicide each year. However, according to findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System, it’s estimated that there are approximately 119 heathcare worker deaths by suicide each year in the U.S. [2] Because suicide among healthcare workers is clearly an issue, it’s important to explore why this is the case and what steps can be taken for suicide prevention for healthcare workers. 

COVID-19: Shedding Light on an Existing Problem

During the pandemic, healthcare workers were on the front lines. Clinics and hospitals quickly became overcrowded as COVID spread and people needed care and testing. A study from NCSBN found that 62% of nurses reported an increase in their workload during the pandemic. They also found that approximately 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the pandemic. 

A reported 610,388 of nurses intended to leave the workforce by 2027, due to stress, burnout, and retirement. [3] Another report from the CDC found that nearly half of all healthcare workers in the United States were experiencing burnout during the pandemic and intended to leave the field in 2022. [4]

While the pandemic certainly increased the load that healthcare workers carried, it also made the public more aware of the struggles that those in healthcare-related professions experience on a regular basis. Issues such as poor working conditions, harassment, and chronic understaffing have been existing problems for decades. 

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 74% of workplace violence in the U.S. in 2013 took place in healthcare settings. [5] These numbers only seem to be increasing. The 2023 CDC Vital Signs report found that the number of healthcare workers who experience harassment doubled from 2018 to 2022. [6]

Violence in healthcare settings can happen for a number of reasons. Patients may lash out if they are anxious, in pain, or dealing with other mental health issues. Family members of patients may also act out due to anxiety or while seeing their loved one in pain. Some people may also expect care and service to be met to their specific standards. If it’s not, these people may become frustrated and take it out on the nurses and other professionals who are simply trying to do their jobs. 

The pandemic also had lasting effects on other areas of practice. The pandemic presented unique obstacles for mental and behavioral healthcare professionals, both during and after the crisis. While frontline healthcare workers faced the pandemic’s immediate impacts, mental healthcare workers are managing its long-term effects. Many people have turned to therapy to help them process everything that happened. As a result, mental healthcare workers have also seen an increased workload, causing them to deal with burnout as well.

Factors that Lead to Suicide in Healthcare Workers

Working in a healthcare-related field often contributes to high amounts of stress and pressure. Caring for others requires a person to set aside their own needs in order to prioritize someone else’s. However, when a person is constantly neglecting their own needs for hours or even days at a time, it can lead to long-term negative effects on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

1. Burnout

Burnout is one of the biggest stressors that healthcare workers face. Nurses often work long shifts, sometimes over 12 hours at a time, while physicians may work upwards of 60 hours per week. [7] Depending on the day’s demands, they may be taking on more tasks than time allows. This was especially true during the pandemic when healthcare facilities were dealing with staffing shortages due to illness and struggled to keep up with the demand for care. 

Burnout can lead to many issues, including risk of medical errors and inefficiency. According to the Mayo Clinic, when someone experiences physical burnout, it’s like missing out on the productivity of seven entire classes of medical school graduates. [8] Studies have shown that as many as 75% of all healthcare professionals struggle with burnout, with up to 12% of these individuals dealing with suicidal ideation. [9]

2. Lack of Support

Being without support is another common issue affecting many in the healthcare industry. In the nursing field, this may look like insufficient staffing, lack of resources, and demanding workloads. Nurses may be assigned to more patients than they are able to properly care for when staffing is low or a hospital is busy. High demands and pressure from other staff may lead to presenteeism. Presenteeism is when an employee is physically at their job despite being ill or unwell to the point of not being able to perform their role effectively. Nurses have the highest rates of presenteeism in the workforce. [10]

3. Trauma

Finally, exposure to trauma plays a huge role in one’s mental health. Nurses in particular are exposed to traumatic situations regularly, especially in emergency settings. The pandemic brought about a whole new level of this as more of the population was dealing with severe illness. Being exposed regularly to people who are suffering can lead to compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress, which both can cause symptoms such as increased anxiety and irritability. It may even lead to post traumatic stress disorder or other issues such as substance use disorders.

Nursing Shortage in the United States

It’s no surprise that nurses and other healthcare professionals are leaving the field, especially after the pandemic. Unfortunately, this leaves healthcare facilities at a loss and puts a greater burden on those who continue to stay and work. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that by 2030, the world may be short of 5.7 million nurses. [11]

The U.S. in particular has been seeing a decrease in nurses, which is alarming as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, needing increased care. [12] Additionally, nursing school enrollment may not be keeping up with the demands of projected care needs. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported drops in both PhD and master’s nursing programs by 3.1% and 0.9%. [13]

Further Impact on the Community 

When healthcare workers are undervalued, it can have serious consequences that affect the rest of the community. There are many ways in which the lack of support can have lasting impacts, especially since the pandemic.

1. Reduced Quality of Care

As stated earlier, when healthcare staff are overworked, there is an increased risk of errors. This can lead to mistakes in patient care. The quality of service may decline. Patients might become dissatisfied. They might avoid seeking care when needed.. Over time, this could lead to a wider distrust in the healthcare system as a whole. 

2. Strained Relationships

Those working demanding healthcare jobs may not have the time or energy to give to other relationships in their life. Because of this, they may become detached. When nurses and healthcare professionals are seen as detached, it affects public opinion. It can make them seem impersonal or rude. This contributes to a negative view of the field. As a result, people may hesitate to receive care. They may also be less likely to pursue jobs in the industry.

3. Financial Toll

High employee turnover due to poor working conditions and employees’ mental health issues can have negative financial consequences and lead to higher operational costs. This can create ripple effects through the community, making care more expensive and difficult to access for many.

Barriers That Keep Healthcare Workers From Seeking Help

Healthcare workers may be reluctant to seek help for several reasons. Those with demanding work schedules and long shifts may struggle to find the time needed to pursue therapy or other support.

There is also the fear that seeking help may impact one’s career in the healthcare field. People in various types of caretaking roles are expected to “have it all together.” Because so much time is spent caring for others, the thought of caring for themselves may not cross their mind as frequently as it should.

 

What Hospitals and Health Systems Can Do to Prevent Suicide Among Staff

1. Reducing Stigma

Open conversations about mental health are essential. This is especially true in workplaces. Healthcare settings, in particular, need this openness. It helps reduce the stigma. It keeps mental health a priority for everyone. Fostering these conversations is an easy first step among colleagues. Check in with each other after long days or tough moments. Acknowledge difficult situations and process through them together. 

2. Expanding Resources for Mental Health and Suicide

Another important element is having resources readily available for staff to access when they’re struggling. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) and other support groups are a good step, as well as providing access to mental health screening tools. However, larger scale change needs to happen for there to be a true difference made. 

In 2024, Australia introduced a Nurse and Midwife Health Program. It aims to support those in the workforce. This encourages them to stay in the field. Nurses, midwives, and students can speak with peers. These peers have experienced similar situations. They offer practical support. Similarly, in 2024, Canada launched a toolkit. It is intended for use across their healthcare system. This toolkit focuses on eight themes and is aimed at helping healthcare employers retain their employees. [14] While the U.S. has taken a few steps toward providing resources, there is more that can be done to support healthcare workers and ensure better working conditions. Suicide prevention training for healthcare professionals and other mental health services need to be easily accessible to help those who are struggling.

3. Encouraging Future Generations

Additionally, it is crucial to encourage the next generation to pursue a career in healthcare. It is rewarding and beneficial for others and themselves. Several statewide initiatives are helping address the nurse shortage. These initiatives make education more accessible for interested students. However, larger-scale change is necessary. This change is needed for others to feel a sense of safety. They need to feel safe entering a demanding profession. Healthcare is known for being physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. 

 

Healthcare Workers Deserve Change

Those who work in a profession of caring for others often have the hardest time caring for themselves. However, this is not their fault. There are larger issues at play that make it extremely difficult for people in professions such as nursing to have the time and resources to be able to support themselves. The pandemic also added another layer of complication to an already struggling system. 

For U.S. healthcare professionals, suicide and mental health issues are growing concerns. These should not be ignored. Burnout and high numbers of healthcare workers leaving the field should continue to be studied since these go hand-in-hand. 

Change needs to happen so that healthcare professionals don’t continue to suffer. Patients deserve to see healthcare workers who are feeling their best and can perform their job to the best of their ability. Ensuring the safety of those in healthcare roles is more than simply an ethical responsibility. It is an essential step toward creating a more sustainable healthcare system for all.

Remember, if you or a loved one are struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available.

Sources:
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10523169/ 

[2] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13548506.2021.1903053 

[3]  https://www.ncsbn.org/news/ncsbn-research-projects-significant-nursing-workforce-shortages-and-crisis 

[4] https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/health-worker-mental-health/index.html 

[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5580583/#B3-ijerph-14-00879 

[6] https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/health-worker-mental-health/index.html 

[7] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6367114/

[8] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6367114/ 

[9] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9098943/ 

[10] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9098943/ 

[11] https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/nursing/world-may-be-short-5-7m-nurses-by-2030-4-report-takeaways/ 

[12] https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage 

[13] https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage 

[14] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2024/03/improving-the-working-lives-of-nurses-across-canada.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are nurses at higher risk of suicide than other healthcare professionals?

Research indicates that certain healthcare roles, including registered nurses, health technicians, and support workers, may face higher suicide risk compared to non-healthcare workers, though risk can vary across professions and settings. Factors such as workload, access to means, and repeated exposure to stress and trauma may contribute to this elevated risk. Understanding these patterns is an important step in developing effective suicide prevention for healthcare workers, including structured, suicide-focused approaches like the CAMS Framework®. Learn more about the CAMS Framework®: https://cams-care.com/about-cams/

Why might healthcare workers avoid seeking mental health support?

Healthcare workers may avoid seeking mental health support due to demanding schedules, concerns about professional stigma, and fear that disclosure could impact their careers. Cultural expectations within caregiving professions can also reinforce the belief that providers should manage distress independently, which can delay help-seeking. Addressing these barriers is essential for improving access to mental health services and supporting suicide prevention among healthcare workers.

How are burnout, trauma, and workplace violence linked to suicide risk in healthcare workers?

Burnout, trauma exposure, and workplace violence are interconnected factors that can increase suicide risk among healthcare workers by contributing to chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. High rates of burnout and exposure to patient suffering or aggression can lead to compassion fatigue, anxiety, and suicidal ideation if left unaddressed. These risks highlight the need for comprehensive suicide prevention training for healthcare professionals that directly targets suicidal drivers and supports ongoing assessment and care. Learn more about the CAMS Framework®: https://cams-care.com/about-cams/

New Directions in Suicide Safety Planning: The Project Life Force (PLF) Intervention

Dr. Goodman describes the development and testing of a novel treatment – “Project Life Force (PLF)” – which combines aspects of two evidence based treatments: Suicide Safety Planning and Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills. The intervention is delivered in a group format and virtually since the pandemic. PLF framework, clinical data and implementation efforts were reviewed.

Marianne Goodman, PhD

Marianne Goodman, MD

Dr. Goodman has been a full time VA clinician (psychiatrist)-scientist at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center (JJPVA) for twenty-five years. In addition to being the Director of the VISN 2 Mental Illness, Research, Education, Clinical Center (MIRECC), she was the Director and developer of the JJPVA Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Clinical and Research program from 2002-2015 and Director of the JJPVA Suicide Prevention Clinical Research Program from 2015-present. Her expertise is in the management of high risk suicidal and emotionally dysregulated Veterans and is considered one of the top suicide prevention experts in the VA system, actively involved in clinical care, research and education. Additionally, she has been the recipient of several prestigious awards for her involvement in suicide prevention and DBT treatment including the New York Federal Executive Employee Outstanding Individual Achievement Award for her Clinical DBT Program for Suicidal Veterans (2009), VISN 3 Network Director’s Achievement Award for Training VISN 3 Clinicians in DBT (2012), and the New York State Excellence in Suicide Prevention Award for Implementation of Zero Suicide in a Healthcare Setting (2018).
In 2015, she shifted her research direction to focus on treatment development for suicide prevention and designed “Project Life Force” (PLF) a novel group intervention that adapts DBT, combining emotion regulation skills with suicide safety planning and lethal means safety which was initially funded with a VA RR&D SPiRE pilot grant (2016-2018), and more recently funded with a multi-site VA RCT with a CSRD Merit (2018-2024). This intervention has moved to full telehealth delivery and with a 2021 SPRINT pilot award expanded to target populations of suicidal rural Veterans (PLF-RV). Dr. Goodman will present on her Project Life Force Intervention.

David A. Jobes, PhD

About David A. Jobes Ph.D. ABPP

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.

Watch the Recorded Webinar On-Demand

Enter your information to gain access.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form

Jumping in the Hole

Posted on by erics

This guy’s walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Hey you, can you help me out?” The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up, “Father, I’m down in this hole, can you help me out?” The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. “Hey Joe, it’s me, can you help me out?” And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, “Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.” The friend says, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.” 

“Noel” (2000) The West Wing, Season 2, Episode 10

 

I suffered for years with constant thoughts of ending my life, eventually coming to find comfort in them, like a blanket that would keep me warm on cold winter nights.  On the few occasions that I would share this with people, I was either dismissed outright or met with hostility, fear, or was shamed.  While it was painful and difficult for me to understand these responses, as if my verbalization of these thoughts could infect the other person, I have never been able to understand why I was met with these same responses from the mental health professionals who were supposed to be helping me.

By my sophomore year in college, I had taken definitive action to end my life three times.  Although I had been in therapy at the time of each attempt, I never told anybody.  There had already been power struggles about thoughts of ending my life, having been dismissed by one therapist and threatened with hospitalization by another; sharing about actual attempts was off the table.  At age 19, l was starting with a new therapist.  I was suicidal, self-destructive, and distrustful–my prior experiences had taught me to keep secrets.  I do not have memories of our first few sessions, but at some point early on my new therapist asked what I thought my life would be like when I was 25 and I answered honestly, saying “I don’t plan to live that long.”

Instead of being dismissive, moralizing or threatening he was empathetic, compassionate and genuinely interested in what I had to say about my own experience; I was in unfamiliar territory.  Over the next six months, I slowly learned how to trust another person and he tried everything to help me.  We started an interactive journal, each writing in a notebook and passing them back and forth at each meeting to have something between our sessions.  On a beautiful spring day following an especially difficult session, we spent an hour talking and walking around a DC neighborhood instead of sitting in the office.  I remember a particularly painful session where we both sat on the floor and I just cried, remarking that I hated crying in public and him responding with, “I don’t consider myself public.”  I did not realize it at the time, but somewhere along the way, he had jumped down into the hole with me and was desperately trying to help me find my way out.

Seven months after we started working together, on a Tuesday evening, I experienced an acute suicidal crisis.  The thoughts that had always been comforting were terrifying; I was incredibly agitated, self-destructive, and very determined.  Nothing good was going to come out of that night but instead of doing the same thing I had done on three previous occasions, I picked up the phone.  Despite our collective best effort to keep me out of the hospital, that is where I ended up–but I was alive and it was because of the strength of the relationship we had forged.  It very easily could have ended differently.

In the following weeks and months, that relationship was my sanctuary providing protection from the life I was trying to figure out if I was even interested in living.  He was unwavering in his position that my life was worth saving and steadfast in his commitment to help me but was always, always respectful when I often did not feel the same way.  Slowly, over time, my position changed.  It was not a linear path, I certainly took the long road to get there, and he stood next to me the entire way.

A year ago, I never would have even considered sharing my story but as I read the lived experience stories of others, it became clear that my experience is different in two significant ways.  First, we tried many different types of medication, alone and in combination, but nothing worked.  Despite what is often reflected in these stories, medication does not work for everybody and if it’s not working for you please know that you are not alone.  Recovery is possible without medication and while I wish it had worked, that was not to be part of my story and it may not be part of your story either.  Second, and most importantly, I had a therapist who was an expert in treating suicide.  For me, this was the game-changer.

As I shared, I saw other mental health providers prior to finding the therapist who would ultimately save my life.  While I liked all of them, they were either not trained in how to manage a patient with suicide or were working within a system that was not set-up to manage a patient with suicide.  Treating suicide is not something that most professionals are taught in training programs and many mental health systems still use threats, coercion, and practices like no-suicide contracts, which do more damage than good.

If you work within these systems, I implore you to work to change them and if you are a provider who may not be familiar with evidence-based treatments and brief-interventions for suicide, please explore the resources available to learn more and get the training necessary to implement them adherently. I am not a mental health provider, but I have been told by many that it is incredibly scary to work with people with suicide and I believe this to be true.  But standing up at the top of the hole and looking down is not what a person in the fight for their life needs or, frankly, deserves.

Perspective from a person with lived experience of serious thoughts of suicide.

Zero Suicide – Outcomes and Opportunities

Zero Suicide - Outcomes and Opportunities

The Zero Suicide model was launched in 2012 as part of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Consistent with the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, Zero Suicide called for improved suicide identification and care in health care systems and promoted use of evidence-based practices by health care providers. Seven core elements comprise the model: “Lead”, “Train”, and “Improve” are the structural components embedded throughout the system and necessary for change, success, fidelity, and continuous quality improvement. “Identify”, “Engage”, “Treat”, and “Transition” are clinical components of the model and define the care patients should receive. Despite evidence supporting each component, use of the full model within systems of care varies.

Over 38% of individuals have made a healthcare visit (e.g., primary care, emergency department, specialty care, etc.) within the week before their suicide attempt and 95% have had a healthcare visit within the preceding year. While this varies across race and ethnicity, these are clearly missed opportunities to identify and care for people at risk for suicide.

Seeing suicide as a never event forces the organization to use best practices, apply continuous quality improvement, and emphasize reducing errors while holding the system to account, not the individual. The clinical science of treating suicidality has evolved such that we now have several proven suicide-specific treatments with additional promising treatments in development. However, graduate programs, professional certification, and continuing education rarely focus on suicide-specific treatments as a competency for graduation or licensure and clinicians report a lack of comfort, confidence, and skill in delivering suicide care.

The Zero Suicide approach has demonstrated notable reductions in suicide and suicide behaviors as well as improvements to using evidenced-based practices. This webinar will describe the Zero Suicide model, discuss challenges, disparities, and opportunities regarding uptake of the unique components of the model, and share how organizations can get started on their Zero Suicide implementation efforts.

Julie Goldstein Grumet, PhD

Julie Goldstein Grumet, PhD

Julie is Vice President for Suicide Prevention Strategy and the Director of the Zero Suicide Institute at the Education Development Center. She provides strategic direction to health care systems to improve the identification and treatment for people at risk for suicide. She has collaborated on numerous grants and publications about systems-based approaches to suicide prevention. Julie’s primary responsibility is to advance the development, dissemination, and effective implementation of comprehensive suicide care practices in various settings. She has expertise in behavioral health transformation, state and local community suicide prevention, quality improvement, and the use of evidence-based practices for suicide care in clinical settings. Julie has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University and lives in Silver Spring, MD.

Watch the Recorded Webinar On-Demand

Enter you information to gain access.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form

Improving Outpatient Suicide Treatment, a Better Alternative to EDs and Hospitals

Improving Outpatient Suicide Treatment, a Better Alternative to EDs and Hospitals

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

Kate Comtois, PhD, MPH

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.

Watch the Recorded Webinar On-Demand

Enter your information to gain access.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form