In 2015, the Institute of Living embarked on its Zero Suicide journey. In the past two years, much has been done. The IOL is now the model cell for all of the Behavioral Health Network.
Last year, the Zero Suicide Champions group put together a postvention plan. This is a fluid plan of what the organization can do if there is ever a death by suicide of someone who is in our care. This plan was created over months and by representatives of every department. The postvention plan can be found on the Zero Suicide SharePoint Site at https://goo.gl/MJRKyP.
As we enter our third year, our goals include:
• Training identified clinical staff in the Suicide Assessment Module (SAM). This model is based on the Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events (CASE). Clinical staff will learn how to screen for suicide at a more in depth level using this interviewing technique. Managers will assign staff throughout the year. Information on CASE can be found using this link: https://goo.gl/xmhZJF.
• There will be a plan in place to switch the SAFE-T screening tool over to the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale or C-SSRS. This will include a pathway to care for all areas of the IOL for staff to be aware of what occurs when someone is low, medium, or high risk. Information on the C-SSRS can be found at https://goo.gl/Cwx46h.
• Finally, we will look to integrate a safety planning technique developed by the Veterans’ Administration upon admission and discharge from care. Information on the safety plan can be found at suicidesafetyplan.com, https://goo.gl/UreAbg and on the patient engagement tab at https://goo.gl/7gMwdk.
For more information, speak with the Zero Suicide Champion at your location and in your department.