Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

Step 4: Guidelines to Determine Level of Risk and Develop Interventions to LOWER Risk Level “The estimation of suicide risk, at the culmination of the suicide assessment, is the quintessential clinical judgment, since no study has identified one specific risk factor or set of risk factors as specifically predictive of suicide or other suicidal behavior.” From the American Psychiatric Association’s Practice Guidelines for the Assessment and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Behaviors , page 24. RISK STRATIFICATION High Suicide Risk S uicidal ideation with intent or intent with plan in past month (C-SSRS Suicidal Ideation #4 or #5) OR Suicidal behavior within the past 3 months (C-SSRS Suicidal Behavior) Moderate Suicide Risk S uicidal ideation with method, WITHOUT plan, intent, or behavior in the past month (C-SSRS Suicidal Ideation #3) OR S uicidal behavior more than 3 months ago (C-SSRS Suicidal Behavior Lifetime) OR Multiple risk factors and few protective factors Low Suicide Risk W ish to die or suicidal ideation WITHOUT method, intent, plan, or behavior (C-SSRS Suicidal Ideation #1 or #2) OR M odifiable risk factors and strong protective factors OR No reported history of suicidal ideation or behavior TRIAGE • Initiate local psychiatric admission process. • Stay with patient until transfer to higher level of care is complete. • Follow up and document outcome of emergency psychiatric evaluation. • Directly address suicide risk, implementing suicide prevention strategies. • Develop a safety plan. • Develop a discretionary outpatient referral process. 73