CAMS Care Webinar - Improving outpatient suicide treatment, a better alternative to EDs and hospitals

Wed. March 27 | 2pm CT

Register here (free)

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.

Archived Webinars 

Presentation Slides/Resources

• CDR & OFR Presentation Slides (Karen Nash, Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin & Amy Parry, Medical College of Wisconsin)
• MKE Suicide Review Commission Overview (Sara Kohlbeck, Medical College of Wisconsin)
• Suicide Prevention: The Critical Role of Coroners (Sarah Bassing-Sutton, N.E.W. Mental Health Connection)
• Forms from Sarah Faust with Fond du Lac County Health Department (email Leah for the following forms)
  • Prevention Recommendation Log
  • SDRT Mtg Agenda
  • SDRT Case Review Confidentiality Form
  • SDRT ROI
  • SDRT Case Review Template to ME

• Suicide in Wisconsin: Impact & Response, Strategy 4: Improve Surveillance of Suicide & Evaluation of Prevention Programs
• Suicide Prevention Recommendations Based on Child Death Review (National Center for Fatality Review & Prevention)

  • The following prevention recommendations emerged:

    1. Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of fatality review
    2. Comprehensive funding for suicide reviews
    3. Consistent access to information in records
    4. Death scene investigation standards for suicide
    5. Support for professionals participating in CDR
• Suicide Best Practices (National Center for Fatality Review & Prevention)
• Suicide Specific Investigation Form (National Center for Fatality Review & Prevention)
• Surveillance Success Stories: Montana (Suicide Prevention Resource Center)

CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets): Providing an Innovative Approach to Mobile Crisis Intervention Since 1989

Presentation Slides

Overview of the history, impact, and application of White Bird Clinic’s CAHOOTS model of mobile crisis intervention based in Eugene, OR. Topics covered will include: budget, community impact, service delivery and best practices for intervention, patient and responder safety.

• Objective 1: Comprehensive understanding of the CAHOOTS response team model and staffing
• Objective 2: Key considerations for mobile crisis service implementation
• Objective 3: Best practices in effective collaboration with traditional public safety entities.

Tim Black is the Director of Consulting at White Bird Clinic. With a background in runaway and homeless youth, harm reduction, and street outreach, he began working for CAHOOTS as a Crisis Intervention Worker in 2010 before moving into an administrative role as the CAHOOTS Operations Coordinator in 2015. His work with White Bird and CAHOOTS has put him in touch with cities across North America looking to implement services based on the CAHOOTS model of behavioral health first response. Programs based on the CAHOOTS model have been implemented in Olympia WA, Denver CO, Rochester NY, San Francisco CA, and Portland OR. In addition to his work with White Bird Clinic, Tim is active in homeless advocacy and also serves on the Board of Directors for Eugene’s Community Supported Shelters.

SPRC Webinar: Treating Suicidal Patients During COVID19: Best Practices and Telehealth 

Click here to access event materials (recording and slides) 

Mental health professionals continue to provide therapy for patients using telehealth despite this new era of quarantine and COVID-19. This is a significant change for most but research suggests that telehealth can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy and for some patients, it is even preferable. Many clinicians were treating patients at risk for suicide safely in outpatient settings, rarely turning to hospitalization, prior to this quarantine and can continue to provide safe and effective care using telehealth. 

This webinar addressed the use of three best practices in caring for people at risk for suicide that can be delivered easily and effectively via telehealth: safety plans, treatment that directly targets thoughts of suicide, and DBT-based self-help skills and resources that clinicians can start employing in treatment immediately as well as share with patients.

Adapting and Implementing Caring Contacts for Suicide Prevention in VA (HSRD Cyberseminar, 3/9/2020)

What We Know About Stigma and How it Applies to Suicide. Heidi Bryan Consulting - www.heidibryan.com.