Resource Types: Manual

Writing SMART objectives

This brief is about writing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-phased (SMART) objectives. It includes an overview of objectives, how to write SMART objectives, a SMART objectives checklist, and examples of SMART objectives.

“Is Your Patient Suicidal?” Emergency Department Poster and Clinical Guide

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center developed the “Is Your Patient Suicidal?” Emergency Department Poster to provide emergency department personnel with information on recognizing and responding to acute suicide risk. The accompanying guide, “Suicide Risk: A Guide for ED Evaluation and Triage”, provides additional clinical guidance for ED personnel. The poster and clinical guide were developed by an expert panel composed of suicide researchers, emergency department nurses and physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists. Editing and design was guided by focus groups of relevant stakeholders. Also contributing to the poster and guide were the American Association of Suicidology, the Emergency Nurses Association, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry.

Poster size is 11” X 17”. Poster content includes (1) signs of acute suicide risk, (2) key risk factors for suicide, and (3) questions that can be asked of those who might be at risk for suicide. The clinical guide is contained on a standard 11” X 8.5” sheet with information on the front and back. Clinical guide content includes information about (1) assessing suicide risk, (2) recommended interventions, (3) discharge protocols, (4) suggested documentation, and (5) procedures to use when a patient elopes.

Program Objectives

ED personnel who read the poster and clinical guide should have:

  1. Increased awareness of the high prevalence of suicide risk among their patients, regardless of their presenting chief complaint(s).
  2. Increased knowledge of suicide warning signs ED patients may exhibit.
  3. Increased knowledge of the types of questions clinicians can ask to elicit suicidality.
  4. Increased knowledge of clinical tools that can improve management of suicidal patients (these include triage and treatment planning, discharge checklist, documentation guide, and elopement management protocols).
  5. Increased comfort to ask patients, with seemingly unrelated chief complaints, about suicide.

Implementation Essentials

  • The ED poster should be used in conjunction with the clinical guide.

2012 NSSP Objectives Addressed: 

Objective 2.4: Increase knowledge of the warning signs for suicide and of how to connect individuals in crisis with assistance and care.

Objective 7.5: Develop and implement protocols and programs for clinicians and clinical supervisors, first responders, crisis staff, and others on how to implement effective strategies for communicating and collaboratively managing suicide risk.

Objective 9.1: Adopt, disseminate, and implement guidelines for the assessment of suicide risk among persons receiving care in all settings.

Legacy Wheel

This online manual educates the Center grantees on eight key program development areas: relationships among community entities (agencies, coalitions, schools, and parent groups), and between individuals; community awareness of mental health or youth violence issues; leadership across and within systems; policies and procedures; the use of evaluation data in decision making; staff competencies and other program capacities; strategic planning approaches; and funding streams.

Safety plan treatment manual to reduce suicide risk: Veteran version

This manual describes a brief clinical intervention, safety planning, that can serve as a valuable adjunct to risk assessment and may be used with veterans who have made a suicide attempt, have suicide ideation, have psychiatric disorders that increase suicide risk, or who are otherwise determined to be at high risk for suicide. It is intended to be used by VA mental health clinicians, including suicide prevention coordinators, as well as other VA clinicians who evaluate, treat, or have contact with patients at risk for suicide in any VA setting.

Writing good goals

This brief is about writing good 5-year program goals. It includes a comparison between the overall program goal and 5-year program goals, how to write good 5-year goals, a 5-year goals checklist, and examples of good 5-year goals.

Restoring Balance: Community Owned Wellness

This manual provides a process for use by American Indian/Alaska Native communities to address wellness, identify their own resources, and use the knowledge and ability of community members to promote change to improve the physical, social, and spiritual environment of the community.

The hexagon tool

This tool can help you select evidence-based programs by reviewing six broad factors related to the program or practice under consideration.