Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

SAFE T

What is the SAFE-T Assessment?

The SAFE-T assessment is an acronym that stands for:

SUICIDE ASSESSMENT FIVE STEP EVALUATION AND TRIAGE

The Origin of the SAFE T

The SAFE T was created and developed by Dr. Douglas Jacobs. He saw a need for an assessment for risk in suicidal patients and the SAFE T was the product of a collaboration of a Mental Health Screening, Inc. and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Evidence Base?

Research shows that the SAFE T is widely used and recommended by an array of professionals- social workers, teachers and other helping professions.

However, I was not able to find evidence for this specific assessment; rather it is supported by the APA Guidelines for practice.

In my search for definite research on the SAFE T, I contacted a staff member of the Suicide Preventions Center, Inc- a partner in creating the SAFE T.

Hi Amanda,

I’m not aware of any such research articles. Did you read somewhere that it is a best practice or evidence-based? Those terms often get thrown around. SAFE-T was designed to be consistent with the [now outdated] American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines for the Assessment and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Behaviors, so it probably would have been considered evidence-informed at the time of its creation. Worth nothing is that the field is moving away from suicide risk assessments that categorize individuals into high/medium/low risk (like SAFE-T does) in favor of a more nuanced assessment that considers risk status and risk state. The explanation SAFE-T gives about what information to collect during a risk assessment is quite good though.

Best,

Sarah

Sarah A. Bernes, MPH, MSW

Research Associate

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

Education Development Center, Inc.

Phone: 202-572-5365

E-mail: sbernes@edc.org

Suicide attempts and completions are Multi-Factored

Psychiatric Illness Co-morbidity

Substance Abuse

Severe Medical Illness

Access to Weapons

Life Stressors

Family History

Neurobiology

Suicidal Behavior

Psychiatric Symptomology

Purpose of the Suicide Assessment

1. Identify Risk Factors

2. Identify Protective Factors

3. Conduct suicide inquiry

4. Determine Risk Level

5. Dcoument

Practical Applications

-Someone that is depressed, and especially when using/abusing substances at the same time (Screening for Mental Health, 2013).

-People with Schizophrenia also have a high-risk profile for suicide. Using the SAFE T would be an appropriate application (Screening for Mental Health, 2013).

-Increasing someone's perspective of their resiliency; helping them see their strengths instead of their weaknesses to offer hope

-Anyone in an acute psychological/emotional crises

-Depression may be a sign; it is known to increase suicidal risk and tends to be under diagnosed and under treated (Screening for Mental Health, 2013).

-This can be used for adolescents and veterans. There are specific versions for those populations

knowing the signs and symptoms!

SAVE A LIFE!

Demonstration

You are 18 years old and have just moved a few hours away from your childhood home to attend college. You have a very supportive mother and step-dad and your family environment has been emotionally and financially stable since throughout your pre-teen/adolescent years. When you were 8 your mother and father were in the middle of a divorce, and you found your father shortly after he completed suicide by gunshot. Your mother experienced severe depression and alcohol abuse for almost a year following the death, but got sober when she burned your house down a night that she was extremely drunk.

Your mother got support from AA, repaired your relationship and remarried when you were 10. She has been healthy ever since, but deals with short periods of depression during fall and winter.

Your step dad and your new extended family have always been a huge source of love and support for your mother and you. You and the "new family" take several family vacations together, that you enjoy very much, including an annual hunting trip you just got back from. Your maternal grandmother has been also been a source of stability, but is now very sick in hospice.

You are about to finish your first semester of college. You miss your family a lot, but you have several genuine friends that keep you motivated to stay. Your friends care about you and have noticed a changes in your behavior. The past few weeks you've been restricting your diet to vegetables for every meal and you've turned down numerous social invites. Your friends encourage you to see the university counseling center.

Source: Screening for Mental Health. (2013). Safe T training. Retrived from www.vimeo.com/84315640

ASSESSMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL USE

28:43

THANK YOU!

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi