Directions:

For this Discussion, you view an initial suicide risk assessment. As you evaluate the social worker’s actions, imagine yourself in their place. What would you do, and why?

To prepare:

• Explore an evidence-based tool about suicide risk assessment and safety planning. See the Week 3 document Suggested Further Reading for SOCW 6090 (PDF) for a list of resources to review.
• Watch the “Suicide Assessment Interview” segment in the Sommers-Flanagan (2014) video to assess how it compares to your findings.
• Access the Walden Library to research scholarly resources related to suicide and Native American populations.

Be sure to support your post with specific references to this week’s resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references.

Resources:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5 5TH 13

• Chapter 1, “Differential Diagnosis Step by Step” (pp. 14–24)

Morrison, J. (2014). Diagnosis made easier: Principles and techniques for mental health clinicians (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

• Chapter 10, “Diagnosis and the Mental Status Exam” (pp. 119–126)
• Chapter 17, “Beyond Diagnosis: Compliance, Suicide, Violence” (pp. 271–280)

• American Association of Suicidology. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.suicidology.org

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2016). Meet the researchers: An introduction to the latest in suicide research. Retrieved from https://afsp.org/our- work/research/meet-the-researchers-an-introduction-to-the-latest-in-suicide- research/

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018b). Psychopathology and diagnosis for social work practice podcast: The diagnostic interview, the mental status exam, risk and safety assessments [Audio podcast]. Baltimore, MD: Author.