Development of a comprehensive suicide protocol in a home health care and social service agency

With the increase in the occurrence of suicide in the home health care setting, recognizing the symptoms of suicidal ideation and providing appropriate intervention are necessities. Many times the need for policies and procedures or protocols is recognized by clinicians and is brought to first-level supervisors for resolution. This article provides a model to help develop the necessary tools for staff. The model includes six major categories: staff education, assessment, identification of clients at risk for suicide, assessment parameters, intervention, and follow-up.