Checking in with youth regarding suicidality:
When youth visit or call in to the hub any time after a clinical visit (either as a walk/call-in, before their scheduled appointment, or at their scheduled appointment), navigators/coordinators and service providers are expected to review the YWHO Data Collection Platform Client Profile Page to see which screeners were completed at the last visit.
Why do navigators/coordinators and service providers need to see which screeners were completed at the last visit?
- To determine which forms are to be provided to youth at the next visit (e.g., some forms are given to youth 8-29 days after their last visit, some 30+ days).
- To see if youth reported suicidality (suicidal thoughts, ideation, plans, suicide attempts) at the previous visit, and thus require a check-in/follow up.
- As part of YWHO, suicidal thoughts are screened for by the last item on the PHQ-9. If youth provide a positive response (“on several days,” “more than half of days,” or “nearly every day”) to being bothered by “thoughts that you would be better off dead or hurting yourself in some way” in the past two weeks, an “alert" is automatically emailed by the data collection platform to the service provider that the client will be seeing, and the service provider completes the C-SSRS to assess suicidality. The service provider may also complete the C-SSRS based on clinical judgment.
How do navigators/coordinators and service providers check to see any past suicidality reports by youth?
- If the C-SSRS is marked as completed
on the Client Profile Page, this indicates that suicidality was reported at the previous visit. Service providers are to check in with youth. - It is possible that the C-SSRS was not completed despite the positive PHQ-9 suicidal ideation item. Staff are expected to check the last question on the completed PHQ-9
and, if there is a positive response, service providers are to check in with youth. - Although unlikely, it is possible that service providers may have used a different suicidality assessment tool, or did a verbal assessment of suicidality with information documented in the Notes section of the Data Collection Platform, or externally. Staff are asked to check the Notes section and/or check in with the last service provider who met with the youth. If there is a report of suicidality from the prior visit, service providers are to check in with youth. You can check who the last service provider who met with the youth using the List of Clients page.
- Service providers can also access the Alert Center for their own account on the data collection platform. The Alert Center displays all of the alerts that have been generated on a staff member’s account, permitting the viewing of past alerts for youth.
And...
- Checking recent reports of youth suicidality is especially important if the youth might be seeing a different service provider than the previous clinical visit or is visiting a hub prior to a scheduled appointment.
- It is anticipated that YWHO clinical teams will have met about any high risk youth, informing all service providers (e.g., should the youth walk in or call without a scheduled appointment).
- Staff should refer to their hub network’s Crisis Service Pathway for addressing youth suicidality. Hub networks may find this rapid response document, Suicide Prevention Policy and Protocol for Youth Services during COVID-19, helpful to their Crisis Service Pathways.