This guide is to help privileged mental health professionals, as well as nurses, technicians, and administrative staff, provide high-quality, evidence-based care to suicidal individuals, as well as consultation and support to units. Currently, no standardized training program for managing suicidal behavior exists within the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS). Individual mental health practitioners are left to evaluate for themselves the literature, assessment tools, and strategies. Although the decisions and actions of providers and staff will be evaluated as to whether the standard of care was met in the event of a patient’s suicide, there is no Air Force written guidance to help mental health professionals meet this standard. We intend this guide to fill the gap by recommending tools, strategies, and resources to help behavioral health personnel provide high-quality care to patients, effective support to commanders and First Sergeants, and minimize risk to their professional careers. Additionally, due to issues unique to military settings, we obtained input from line commanders and First Sergeants and incorporated it into development of the guide.
