Participants will learn about current practices for suicidal or psychiatrically decompensated people in correctional systems across the country. Correctional settings overwhelmingly use isolation and restricted property for prolonged periods of time during times of patient crisis. Clinician contacts are often daily brief risk assessments with limited targeted treatment interventions. These practices contradict community standards and research on the management of suicidal patients.

Educational Objectives

• Compare suicide watch protocols used across the United States
• Examine best practice models for suicide watch
• Discuss options for improving care for patients on suicide watch or psychiatric observation status

Level: Intermediate