Practical Assignment 4 | SAFE-T [Originality Check]
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Overview
Suicide is prevalent and often urgent existential threat to many people suffering from anxiety, depression or mental illness. The clinical practitioner must be able to move swiftly to assess and refer a plan of action to a client with the potential or desire to carry out a suicide attempt. Imagine that you are in the position of a crisis worker who has been called upon to assess the suicide ideation of Amy, a 37-year old Caucasian female who referred herself to the clinic.
Assignment Instructions
1. Review Suicide and Suicidal Behavior (opens in new window). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5319859/
2. Review the following scenario of Amy who has self-reported her desire to commit suicide.
o Amy, 37-year-old white female, self-referred.
o The stated plan is to drive her car off a bridge.
o Precipitant seems to be verbal abuse by her boss; after talking to her nightly for hours, he suddenly refused to talk to her. As a result, the patient feels angry and hurt, threatened to kill herself.
o She is also angry at her mother, who will not let patient smoke or bring men to their home.
o Current alcohol level is .15.
o The patient is confused, repetitive, and ataxic.
o History reveals a previous suicide attempt (overdose) 7 years ago, which resulted in hospitalization.
o After spending the night at ER and sobering, patient denies further suicidal intent.
3. Review the National Suicide Prevention Lifelines Suicide Assessment Standards (opens in a new window)https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/best-practices/
4. Then, use the SAFE-T Suicide Assessment Tool [DOWNLOAD] to develop an action plan for Amy.
5. Write a reflection paper that addresses the following prompts and includes your assessment results.
o How many factors on the SAFE-T assessment describe or match Amys behaviors, words or mental functions?
o What other assessments might be recommended to evaluate Amys well-being? Explain your recommendation.
o What kinds of mental state examination questions might help reveal Amys functioning once she became sober?
o What is the plan of action to either admit her for clinical diagnostics/care or to release her to other professional care? Explain your plan.
Assignment Requirements
Action plan and assessment results are incorporated in a written reflection paper.
Addresses the following prompts in a written reflection:
o Identified factors on the SAFE-T assessment describe or match patients behaviors, words or mental functions
o Recommendation/explanation of other assessments needed to evaluate the patients well-being
o Identified mental state examination questions that might help reveal patients functioning
o Plan of action explains details for clinical diagnostics/care or release her to other professional care
Cites at least one source to support your responses.
