Development of a suicide intervention training programme for secondary mental health services
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Development of a suicide intervention training programme for secondary mental health services

Felicity Allman Medical student, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Helen Lee-Savage Lead for suicide prevention, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Bodmin, England

Why you should read this article
  • To enhance your knowledge of the important elements of a suicide intervention training programme for staff practising in secondary mental health services

  • To understand the risk factors and individualised warning signs that may be present in a person who is at risk of suicide

  • To recognise the theories of suicidal behaviour that can inform your practice when caring for people who are at risk of suicide

This article describes the elements of a suicide intervention training programme, known as the ‘I CARED and Shared’ model, which has been introduced in one NHS mental health service in England. The article outlines the development of this model and explains how it was adapted to ensure suitability for secondary mental health services. When developing the model, it was recognised that the fundamental elements of a suicide intervention training programme, such as establishing a connection with the person at risk of suicide, asking about suicide, and safety planning or crisis management, are immutable. However, there remains scope to ensure suicide intervention training programmes are up to date and increasingly comprehensive and suitable for mental health professionals, including nurses.

Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1430

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

f.j.allman1@newcastle.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Allman F, Lee-Savage H (2019) Development of a suicide intervention training programme for secondary mental health services. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1430

Published online: 24 October 2019

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