Postyour assessment of the client’s suicide risk. Identify the risk and protective
factors that led you to this assessment. Then, explain what further steps and/or
interventions you would take as the client’s social worker, based on the suicide risk
assessment.
For this discussion I completed the COLUMBIA-SUICIDE SEVERITY RATING SCALE
Screen Version – Recent ( and based on the Columbia Lighthouse Project, n.d.)
information gathered from Mike he is at low risk for suicide. Although he has
thought about it, he does not have a plan or the means necessary to complete. The
risk factors that led to this conclusion include the following: Mike has no sense of
purpose, active substance abuse, feeling trapped, isolated from his immediate
family and lack of sleep. Mike was in a traumatic environment as he was an active
military member. Since returning home he has had trouble connection and become
a part of his family’s daily routine. He had issues with sleeping, eating and he is not
working. Mike is showing symptoms of PTSD, he may also be experiencing
depression, since he reports these issues.
The protective factors include the following Mike has a support a system; his wife
has encouraged him to seek treatment. Another protective factor is his children, he
has expressed concerns as to who would teach them guy stuff, if he was no longer
around.
As the client's social worker, I would take the following steps to intervene:
Continue to assess the client's current level of suicide risk and develop a safety plan
with the client. The Safety Plan is personal to the client’s situations and lists things
that Mike can do when in distress. In this plan he can also identify personal and
professional individuals with whom he can speak to when in distress. (National
Alliance on Mental Illness, n.d.)
I would plan to meet with the client on a weekly basis to provide support and to
monitor the client's suicide risk. When appropriate involve Mike’s family in
