The Recognizing Suicide Lethality (RSL) scale, also called the “Thirteen Questions on Successful Suicide” is used to identify whether a person who may be exposed to suicidal individuals (such as a physician, social worker, minister, or educator) can recognize the signs of suicide. The questions in the RSL are based off the factors identified in the Suicide Potential Rating Scale (Holmes and…
Tag: suicide risk assessment
Suicide Intervention Response Inventory (SIRI)
The Suicide Intervention Response Inventory is designed to assess the ability of paraprofessionals (as well as professionals) to recognize and respond to suicidal statements. (Neimeyer R.A. & Maclnnes, 1981) It is comprised of 25 segments, each of which represents an excerpt from a counselling session, and two potential responses. The test-user must rank the responses…
Online Counselling and Suicide Intervention Specialist (OCSIS) Review
The Online Counselling and Suicide Intervention Specialist (OCSIS) course is an online, self-study 40-hour course designed to teach basic suicide intervention skills and focusing on online and chat environments, offered by the QPR Institute. Given the changes in help-seeking behaviour, with more people, especially youth moving online (Horrigan & Rainie, 2006) it’s important that helplines…
Documenting a Suicide Risk Assessment
It is very important that when performing a suicide risk assessment in a clinical or professional context (whether a therapist, crisis or mental health worker, teacher, etc.), that you adequately document exactly what happened and what you did in response. A good suicide risk assessment form will assist you in documenting what the suicidal person…
Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM)
Counseling on Access to Lethal Means, or CALM is a course originally developed by Harvard Public Health that is now available in an online format through the Suicide Prevention Resource Centre. It is a 90 to 120 minute course designed for counsellors, therapists, crisis workers and others who work directly with suicidal persons, and makes…