What to Do After Your Child’s Suicide Attempt — and How CAMS-Care Can Help
When a child has attempted suicide, the days and weeks that follow are often filled with fear, confusion, guilt, and uncertainty. Many parents describe feeling overwhelmed — unsure of what to say, what to do next, or how to help their child begin to heal. The video Parents to Parents: After Your Child’s Suicide Attempt was created to speak directly to these very real experiences, offering guidance from both clinicians and other parents who have walked this difficult path.
This guidance aligns with principles from the Zero Suicide Initiative, an organization that offers evidence-based, suicide prevention consultation and guidance. Research on the Zero Suicide Framework shows that care is improved (individually and at a system level) when it is proactive, collaborative, and specifically focused on suicide risk rather than general mental health alone.
The video linked at the bottom of this page can help parents understand what recovery actually looks like after an attempt: how to talk with their child, how to create safety, and how to partner with clinicians in a structured and hopeful way during a frightening time.
1. Acknowledge the Emotional Impact
First and foremost, it’s important for caregivers to recognize and validate their own emotions. Guilt, fear, anger, panic, numbness, and even relief can all coexist in the aftermath of a suicide attempt. These feelings are understandable — and common.
The video underscores that, while it can feel isolating, parents are not alone, and their reactions are shared by many families who have survived this crisis.
2. Understand What Comes Next
After the immediate medical response (emergency care, hospitalization if needed), the focus shifts to support and safety. This includes:
- Co-creating a safe home environment by removing/securing or reducing access to potential means of harm.
- Engaging with clinicians and mental health providers to initiate follow-up care, including therapy and psychiatric support.
- Listening openly to your child’s feelings and thoughts without judgment, and letting them know they are loved, valued, and safe. The film encourages parents to learn what signs to watch for, how to talk about the attempt with their child, and how to make mental health care accessible.
3. Seek Evidence-Based Suicide-Focused Care
One essential piece in a child’s recovery journey is accessing evidence-based therapeutic approaches that focus specifically on suicidality rather than general mental health management alone. One such model is the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) — often referenced in suicide care communities and clinical settings.
CAMS is a suicide-specific treatment framework that actively involves the young person in identifying what is “driving” their suicidal thinking and collaboratively building a plan to address those drivers. It’s not a rote checklist; it’s a flexible, empathic approach where the clinician and child (or family) work together to:
- Assess suicidal risk in depth
- Create personalized safety and stabilization plans
- Build treatment beyond safety and stability that moves teens towards lives they find worth living
- Track progress and adapt care as needed
This model has been supported by research showing reductions in suicidal ideation, hopelessness, and distress, and improved engagement with care — all critical in the period after an attempt.
CAMS-4Teens® is a framework in which a clinician works with the parents to keep the home safe and provide guidance on how best to support your child through a course of CAMS treatment( typically six to 8 one-hour sessions) using the Stabilization Support Plan (CAMS-4Teens: Working with Parents).
Parents can locate a CAMS Trained™ clinician in their area using the CAMS‑care Clinician Locator.
4. Build a Support Team Around Your Child
Recovery is rarely a solo journey. The video highlights the value of connecting with both professional and community support — including family therapists, school counselors, peer support groups, and other caregivers who understand the experience. Parents who have been there often say that having someone to talk to — whether a trained provider or another parent who has survived similar circumstances — can make all the difference.
5. Maintain Hope and Patience
Perhaps the most crucial message is one of hope. While a suicide attempt is a serious and frightening event, it does not mean a child is beyond help or that recovery isn’t possible. With appropriate care, safety planning, ongoing support, and open, compassionate treatment and communication, many families find their way back to stability and connection. Over time, parents and children can work toward healing together — learning new ways to cope, to stay connected, and to build a future worth living.
About Dr. Rheeda Walker
