Home Suicide Prevention Resource Center SPRC

The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)

CAMS-care, LLC

Website: https://cams-care.com/

Program Type

Education or Training Program

Cost

$500 or less

Evidence Type

Empirically-Defined Evidence

SPRC Comprehensive Approach

Identify and Assist, Increase Help-Seeking, Effective Care/Treatment, Care Transition/Linkages, Respond to Crisis, Reduce Access to Means, Life Skills and Resilience, Connectedness

Program or Intervention Summary

The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) is one of a handful of evidence-based, suicide-focused treatments referenced by the Joint Commission, the Surgeon General, Zero Suicide and the CDC. CAMS is backed by over 30 years of clinical research including 6 published Randomized Controlled Trials and two meta-analysis that show CAMS is a “Well Supported” intervention for reducing suicidal ideation per CDC criteria, and, in comparison to alternative interventions, resulted in significantly lower suicidal ideation and general distress, considerably higher treatment acceptability, and notably higher hope/lower hopelessness. The goal of CAMS is to treat the patient in an outpatient or telehealth setting and stabilize them in as few as 6 sessions. CAMS is shown to work best with the largest population, the 15 million Americans with serious thoughts of suicide.

The CAMS Framework® is first and foremost a clinical philosophy of care. It is a therapeutic framework for suicide-focused assessment and treatment of a patient’s self-defined “drivers” which are those issues that make them consider suicide. It is a flexible approach that can be used across theoretical orientations and disciplines for a wide range of suicidal patients across treatment settings and different treatment modalities.

The clinician and patient engage in a highly interactive and patient centered assessment process as the patient is an active participant in their own suicide-focused treatment plan. Every session of CAMS intentionally utilizes the patient’s input about what is and is not working. All assessment work in CAMS is collaborative; we seek to have the patient be a “co-author” of their own treatment plan.

In terms of CAMS philosophy, the clinician’s empathy, collaboration, honesty and forthrightness are key elements. For any patient teetering between life and death, there can be no more important component of care than direct and respectful candor when suicidal risk is present. The CAMS clinician endeavors to understand their patient’s suffering from an empathetic, non-judgmental, and intra-subjective perspective. The clinician never shames or blames a suicidal person for being suicidal; we endeavor to understand this struggle through the eyes of the suicidal patient.

Research shows that clinicians feel more confident using CAMS and prefer it to usual care. It is relatively easy to learn and affordable.

Type Education or Training Program
Setting Online, Home, Community, Correctional Facility, Healthcare Facility, Inpatient mental health facility, Community mental health facility, Residential facility, PK-12 School, Colleges and Universities, Social Services or Public Health, Transition Between Settings, Tribal communities, United States Territory, Wilderness
People Mental Disorders, Service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF), People Who Live in Urban Areas
Languages English
Study Method Quantitative Design, Qualitative Design, Mixed Methods Design
Implementer Requirement Adults, Professional Educators, Mental health treatment providers
Training Requirement Yes
Delivery Options In-Person, Virtual self-paced, Virtual live, Hybrid, Other
Risk and Protective Factors Previous suicide attempt, History of depression and other mental illnesses, Serious illness such as chronic pain, Job/financial problems or loss, Substance use, Current or prior history of adverse childhood experiences, Bullying, Family/loved one's history of suicide, Social isolation, Lack of access to healthcare, Suicide cluster in the community, Community violence, Historical trauma, Discrimination, Stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness, Easy access to lethal means of suicide among people at risk, Unsafe media portrayals of suicide, Effective coping and problem-solving skills, Strong sense of cultural identity, Support from partners, friends, and family, Feeling connected to others, Feeling connected to school, community, and other social institutions, Availability of consistent and high quality physical and behavioral healthcare, Reduced access to lethal means of suicide among people at risk

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