Patient discussions
A collaborative discussion with the patient can produce a personalized safety plan that includes strategies for dealing with distress, removal of access to means, and a list of people and organizations to contact should they become distressed or suicidal in the future.
Provide patients who are sent home with responsible support with contact cards carrying the name and phone number of a crisis worker they can call should the situation worsen. Give a similar contact card to the person supporting the patient at home. Advise the patient and their supporters to limit access to potentially lethal means (e.g., firearms should be removed from the home, pills should be locked up). Encourage patients to participate actively in establishing and achieving treatment goals.
Advise people connected with someone who has died by suicide to attend grief counseling.
Available online resources:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Opens in new window
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