CE/CME

Youth Suicide: Addressing Risks, Plans and Behaviors

Welcome to the training on Youth Suicide: Addressing Risks, Plans and Behaviors provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

Credit Hours: 1.50 CE

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Goal

The goal of this module is to support Texas Health Steps providers and others in using a team approach to address the challenge of youth suicide. Providers will learn about screening to identify youth at risk for suicide; addressing suicide plans and behaviors; and providing appropriate referrals, ongoing care and care coordination in a primary care setting.

Target Audience

Texas Health Steps providers and other interested health care professionals.

Specific Learning Objectives

After completing the activities of this module, you will be able to:

  1. Summarize risk factors and warning signs of suicide in youth. 
  2. Apply current recommendations to screen youth for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. 
  3. Formulate a care workflow for youth at risk for suicide in specific office and community settings. 
  4. Apply suggestions for provider self-care in potentially challenging patient situations with youth at risk for suicide. 
  5. Examine the role of the medical home in the treatment and ongoing management of care for youth at risk for suicide.

NOTE: In this module, the term “parent” also refers to guardians and caregivers. The term “supportive adult” refers to those same individuals plus other important people in the adolescent’s life. The terms “adolescent” and “youth” are used interchangeably in the module to refer to individuals ages 10 through 24 years. Resources listed throughout the module can be accessed through the Appendix on this page.

Please note this module expires on 7/6/2026.

This module was released on 7/6/2023.

Resources For Families

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Medical Definitions

The medical definitions in this module were obtained or adapted from the Child Mind Institute, Contagion of Violence: Workshop Summary, Evidence-Based Mental Health, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Psychology Today and WebMD.

Continuing Medical Education

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Nursing Education

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.50 contact hour(s) of Continuing Nursing Education.

Social Workers

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service under sponsor number CS3065 has been approved by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners to offer continuing education contact hours to social workers. The approved status of The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service expires annually on December 31. The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has awarded 1.50 contact hour(s) of Continuing Social Work Education.

Certificate of Attendance

The Texas Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service has designated 1.50 hour(s) for attendance.

General Disclosure

One of the requirements of continuing education is disclosure of the following information to the learner:

  1. Notice of requirements for successful completion of continuing education activity. To receive continuing education credit the learner must successfully complete the following activities:
    • Create a Texas Health Steps account.
    • Complete on-line registration process.
    • Thoroughly read the content of the module.
    • Complete the on-line examination.
    • Complete the evaluation.
  2. Commercial Support.
    The THSTEPS Web-based Continuing Education Series has received no commercial support.
  3. Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships.
    The THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee and the authors of these modules have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  4. Non-Endorsement Statement.
    Accredited status does not imply endorsement of any commercial products or services by the Department of State Health Services, Continuing Education Service; Texas Medical Association; or American Nurse Credentialing Center.
  5. Off-Label Use.
    Using a disclosure review process, the THSTEPS Continuing Education Planning Committee has examined documents and has concluded that the authors of these modules have not included content that discusses off-label use (use of products for a purpose other than that for which they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration).

The following are policies and definitions of terms related to continuing education disclosure:

The intent of disclosure is to allow Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service the opportunity to resolve any potential conflicts of interest to assure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its Continuing Education activities.

All faculty, planners, speakers and authors of Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service sponsored activities are expected to disclose to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Continuing Education Service any relevant financial, relationships with any commercial or personal interest that produces health care goods or services concerned with the content of an educational presentation. Faculty, planners, speakers and authors must also disclose where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.

Glossary of Terms

Conflict of Interest: Circumstances create a conflict of interest when an individual has an opportunity to affect Continuing Education content about products or services of a commercial interest with which she/he has a financial relationship or where there are any other potentially biasing relationships of a professional or personal nature.

Commercial Interest: Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.

Financial Relationships: Those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (e.g., stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting, teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected. Relevant financial relationships would include those within the past 12 months of the person involved in the activity and a spouse or partner. Relevant financial relationships of your spouse or partner are those of which you are aware at the time of this disclosure.

Off Label: Using products for a purpose other that that for which it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Texas Health Steps courses are best viewed using a current browser. If you are using an out-of-date browser or a version of Internet Explorer less than 11, lesson progress and interactive features may not function properly.

Health-Care Providers

Texas suicide prevention initiatives and resources:

  • HHSC cards with suicide prevention phone numbers and other crisis resources that can be printed out and given to parents and youth.

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. STAR Health: A Guide to Medical Services at CPS. Medicaid managed care for children and adolescents in foster care.

Texas Health Steps Anticipatory Guidance, A Guide for Providers.

Texas Health Steps Periodicity Schedule.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Local Mental Health and Behavioral Health Authorities.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Medical Transportation Program.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission. STAR Kids Medicaid Managed Care Program.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission. STAR Medicaid Managed Care Program.

Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership. Provider Search.

National Resources

The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Toolkit and ASQ Screening Tool

American Association of Suicidology

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

American Psychological Association. (2021). Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Inclusive Language Guidelines.

Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) – Pediatric version to assess the level of risk and type of services that are needed.

Safe-T with Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)

Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Since Last Visit.

Zero Suicide Institute: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM), a free online video course offered by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. CALM is a best practice technique recommended to assist providers to implement counseling strategies to help patients at risk for suicide and their families reduce access to lethal means.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training.

My Safety Plan. (2021). From Vibrant Emotional Health. Includes a FAQ and links titled Download a Blank Plan and Let’s Make a Plan.

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Resources.

StopBullying.gov

Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Zero Suicide National Website

Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Primary Care Practices. (2020). Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC).

Texas Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN).

Zero Suicide Institute: Solutions.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Telehealth resources for providers.

Crisis hotlines

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts:

  • Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988
    • Press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line
    • Press 2 for help in Spanish
    • Press 3 for LGBTQ+ support
  • Call the Trevor Project (for LGBTQ young people) at 866-488-7386, or chat online at TrevorChat, or use TrevorText by texting START to 678678
  • Text TX to the Crisis Text Line at 741741
  • Chat on Lifeline Chat.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 800-799-4889 or dial 711 then 988.

Help Outside the United States

To find a suicide helpline outside the United States, contact the International Association for Suicide Prevention.