Mini Workshop 12 - The Safety Planning Intervention: It's More Than Just Filling out the Form!

Brief interventions to address acute suicide risk are a relatively recent development in the larger field of evidence-based treatment for suicidal patients. Sponsored by the Suicide and Self-Injury SIG, this workshop focuses on one such innovation: the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention (SPI; Stanley & Brown, 2012). The SPI is an evidence-based, collaborative intervention that helps patients decrease their suicide risk by consulting and using a pre-determined set of strategies and resources during a suicidal crisis. The intervention results in a written plan for the patient to use that contains six steps: 1) warning signs for future suicidal crises; 2) internal coping strategies for distraction; 3) people or social settings for distraction; 4) people to ask for help with the crisis; 5) professionals and agencies that can help resolve the crisis; and 6) reducing access to lethal means for suicide. While the SPI has been widely implemented and is recommended by accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission, research has found that the fidelity and quality with which SPI is implemented in the real world is often suboptimal. For example, the SPI may be considered as just a form to fill out, rather than a clinical intervention, leading to the omission of critical components of the intervention as designed. This workshop will focus on the aspects of the SPI that are beyond the safety plan form itself, including 1) conducting a narrative interview of a recent suicidal crisis; 2) providing psychoeducation and rationale about the SPI and its various steps; 3) vetting potential strategies to avoid harm and ensure a high degree of personalization and feasibility; 4) helping patients to implement their safety plan on their own; and 5) involving caregivers in the intervention for adolescents or adults who may need caregiver assistance.

Recommended Reading 1: Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety planning intervention: A brief intervention to mitigate suicide risk. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19, 256-264.

Recommended Reading 2: Pettit, J. W., Buitron, V., & Green, K. L. (2018). Assessment and Management of Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents. Cognitive and behavioral practice, 25(4), 460–472.

Recommended Reading 3: Stanley, B., Brown, G. K., Brenner, L. A., Galfalvy, H. C., Currier, G. W., Knox, K. L., Chaudhury, S. R., Bush, A. L., & Green, K. L. (2018). Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention With Follow-up vs Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department. JAMA psychiatry, 75(9), 894–900.