Suicide Risk Assessment and Care Planning Clinical Pathway — Outpatient Specialty Care
Suicide Risk Assessment using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
Suicide risk assessment gathers information related to current and past history of suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, and self-injurious behavior. The widely used Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS; Posner, Brent, Lucas, Gould, Stanley, Brown, Fisher, Zelazny, Burke, Oquendo, & Mann, 2009) is a standardized, evidence-based instrument that guides a thorough and reliable suicide risk assessment.
A standardized approach to assessment, using the C-SSRS, supports reliability and clear communication across clinicians and clinical teams using specific definitions of suicidal ideation and behavior, as well as ratings of intensity and severity of ideation and behavior.
The C-SSRS is applicable across multiple settings in the health care environment (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, ED) and does not require a mental health clinician to administer.
The C-SSRS can be used for both initial encounters with patients, as well as in the context of follow-up care of established patients to track changes over time. The completion of the C-SSRS will assist with the development of a risk formulation and plan of care to address the patient’s immediate and ongoing needs.