Team-based suicide prevention: lessons learned from early adopters of collaborative care.

Team-based suicide prevention: lessons learned from early adopters of collaborative care. J Interprof Care. 2019 Dec 18;:1-7 Authors: Wittink MN, Levandowski BA, Funderburk JS, Chelenza M, Wood JR, Pigeon WR Abstract Suicide prevention in clinical settings requires coordination among multiple clinicians with expertise in different disciplines. We aimed to understand the benefits and challenges of a team approach to suicide prevention in primary care, with a particular focus on Veterans. The Veterans Health Administration has both a vested interest in preventing suicide and it has rapidly and systematically adopted team-based approaches for primary care interventions, including suicide prevention. We conducted eight focus groups and eight in-depth interviews with primary care providers (PCPs), behavioral health providers and nurses located in six regions within one Veterans Administration Catchment Area in the northeast of the US. Transcripts were analyzed using simultaneous deductive and inductive content analysis. Findings revealed that different clinicians were thought to have particular expertise and roles. Nurses were recognized as being well positioned to identify subtle changes in patient behavior that could put patients at risk for suicide; behavioral health providers were recognized for their skill in suicide risk assessment; and PCPs were felt to be an integral conduit between needed services and treatment. Our findings sugg...
Source: Journal of Interprofessional Care - Category: Health Management Tags: J Interprof Care Source Type: research