Making it safer: a health centre's strategy for suicide prevention

Developing and implementing consistent methodology for suicide assessment and intervention is challenging, particularly in a large community hospital which provides both inpatient care and a wide range of ambulatory and community based mental health programs. Patients, families, staff, and ongoing evaluation contributed to the development of an initiative to determine what is best practice and in effecting changes in clinical and organizational practices. The Suicide Assessment project resulted in improved clinical outcomes for patients and clients. Staff report that they feel more supported in probing for suicidal ideation and have the skills required to effectively intervene with the 'suicidal' patient/client. This project advanced our knowledge of suicide assessment and risk management and provided new insights to assist professionals in the aftermath of a client's suicide when, as Valente describes, clinicians report 'feeling overwhelmed with feelings of guilt, self-blame, and responsibility (Valente S: Journal of Psychosocial Nursing 40:7 22-23, 2002).