Contents

Resources

At-A-Glance Tools

This section of the website provides users with quick and easy access to helpful tools that have been developed to assist with the following: (1) recognizing suicide risk, (2) assessing suicide risk and (3) responding to suicide risk. While you are strongly encouraged to carefully read the more detailed information and visit the links that are provided throughout these web pages, three research-informed tools that provide an immediate link to some of the most practical tools available are presented here.

IS PATH WARM is a helpful device for recognizing and remembering the warning signs of suicide. This empirically based tool, developed by the American Association for Suicidology, can be used as an educational resource when training gatekeepers to recognize potential signs of suicide.

SAD PERSONS is a useful tool that was developed by Patterson and colleagues (1983) to facilitate an easily remembered approach for conducting a thorough suicide risk assessment.

The Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) is a helpful pocket card that guides clinicians through the process of suicide risk assessment through the use of five key steps.

Working With the Suicidal Patient: A Guide for Health Care Professionals is a useful step-by-step guide for assessing and managing suicidal behaviour. It was designed for health care providers, including those that may be working in an acute care/emergency setting.

Practice Tool for Exercising Discretion: Emergency Disclosure of Personal Information was recently produced by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC to support decision-making when working with individuals at risk for suicide.