小蝌蚪视频

What to Do When Your Client is Considering Suicide

And Why Contracts For Safety Are Not a Good Idea

Paul Brasler, MA, MSW, LCSW

One of the biggest fears for most therapists is losing a client to suicide. And with suicide being the second leading cause of death for people aged 15-34, it鈥檚 certainly a valid one.

Unfortunately, there鈥檚 a long list of reasons why clients often deny having suicidal thoughts鈥攅ven if they鈥檝e already thought through a plan and intend to act on it. It makes our job of quickly and effectively intervening even more critical. And we need to take that seriously.

But it can be hard to make that first move, especially when you have doubts. However, I believe it鈥檚 always better to over-react than not react enough.

My client may be considering suicide. Now what?


If you have a client who has a suicide plan or has expressed any intent to harm themselves, get them to a hospital. You may be able to have EMS transport the client for you, but if not, find a trusted friend or family member of the client to drive them-but only if it's clear that the client wants to go. It's important to note that 1.) the client should not be allowed to drive themselves and 2.) it is not your responsibility to drive the client yourself. Safety for everyone is critical here.

Sometimes, your client will refuse to go to the hospital. When this is the case, I recommend initiating the involuntary commitment process. I encourage you to develop relationships with area psychiatric facilities, their administrators, and doctors to try and make this process as smooth as possible. You may also want to consider a soft handoff when you鈥檙e able to. Try calling the hospital鈥檚 emergency department when you are sending them a patient so they have advanced notice. Strong relationships, good communication, and a solid plan of action can truly make a difference in life or death.

If a client lacks suicidal intent, but you are still concerned, there may be other options, but only if steps are taken to create a Safety Plan.

Before we talk about creating Safety Plans, it鈥檚 important to note that Safety Plans are not the same as Contracts For Safety.

Why Contracts for Safety aren鈥檛 helpful


The concept of 鈥渃ontracting for safety鈥 or agreeing to a 鈥渘o harm contract鈥 has been used in clinical practice for many years.

First described in clinical literature in 1973, these contracts were originally designed for clients with whom the clinician had been working with for a long time. As the name implies, they were used as a way for patients to promise to clinicians that they will try not to harm themselves when they are suicidal.

However, there are a couple of issues I have with these contracts.

First and foremost, the terms are not consistently defined or used, and clinicians generally do not receive formal training in suicide assessments.

There is also an issue with reliability. Can a person with a serious mood or psychotic disorder truly understand, consent, and participate in a contracting process?

Furthermore, these types of contracts 诲辞苍鈥檛 protect against legal liability. This can be a common misconception.

But my biggest problem with these contracts? There is little evidence that they actually reduce suicide. This provides a false sense of security for the clinician. While the therapist may feel better, the client may not be truly safe.

I believe a much better strategy includes a detailed, lethality evaluation, open dialogue between patients and clinicians, and the creation of a Safety Plan. These three establish a therapeutic alliance and allow ongoing comprehensive assessments of suicide risk over time.

Creating an effective Safety Plan


Creating an effective Safety Plan starts with determining if the client is able to actively participate in the creation of it. This requires them to be in a reliable state of mind. If they have cognitive problems or are psychotic, they are often no longer considered safe.

Safety Plans also require input and commitment of another person, preferably a friend or family member of the patient or a professional caregiver. Safety Plans work even better when multiple friends and family are involved.

Other things to consider:
  1. Where will the patient be staying and for how long?

  2. How will weapons鈥攊ncluding knives and cutlery鈥攂e removed from the patient鈥檚 access?

  3. What safe, secure place will medication be stored? Who will give individual doses to the patient?

  4. How will the next few days be structured? How will the client stay active?

  5. What outpatient resources are available for the patient? How long will it take him/her to access these resources?

  6. What financial issues need to be resolved?

  7. What transportation issues need to be resolved?

  8. What is the plan if the patient鈥檚 symptoms get worse?

Creating an effective Safety Plan can feel daunting at first, which is why I鈥檝e created this free, printable Safety Plan Worksheet. Remember, this tool is meant to CREATE DIALOGUE between therapists and clients who are expressing suicidal ideation (and may not meet the criteria for inpatient admission but still need support.)

If a client has a suicide plan or has expressed any intent to harm themselves, get them to a hospital.

Meet the Author:
Paul Brasler, MA, MSW, LCSW, became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2002. He is currently the head of behavioral health for Daily Planet Health Services, a Federally-Qualified Health Center that provides comprehensive and integrated healthcare and mental health services (including Medication-Assisted Opioid Treatment) in the Greater Richmond, Virginia area. Paul is also President of Providence Consulting & Education, L.L.C., through which he provides clinical supervision and professional education services. Paul has extensive experience in working with people in crisis, including: Community mental health settings, hospital settings (inpatient behavioral health and conducting psychiatric evaluations in the emergency department), Juvenile Drug Court, private practice, foster care and adolescent residential treatment. Paul regularly conducts a variety of trainings for counselors, teachers, parents, ministers and First Responders in his community and across the country.

Paul has been a 小蝌蚪视频 presenter since 2016, and he has presented classes on Mental Health Emergencies and High Risk Clients across the county. His first book, High-Risk Clients: Evidence-Based Assessment & Clinical Tools to Recognize and Effectively Respond to Mental Health Crises, 小蝌蚪视频 publishing, was published in August 2019. Paul is married to Claire, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Pediatric Trauma Nurse, and they are busy raising three boys: 13, 10 and 7; along with a lazy dog. Claire, Paul and their boys are proud residents of Richmond, Virginia.

Learn more about his products and upcoming seminars.

Topic: Suicide and Self-Harm

Tags: Advice | Safe Practice | Strategies | Suicide and Self-Harm | Therapy Tools | Tools

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