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Call or text 988 (U.S. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.
988 Resources
Provider toolkit (clinical-friendly)
Core approach
- Collaborative, nonjudgmental, culturally respectful.
- Ask about access across means (firearms, meds, poisons, sharps, etc.).
- Focus on temporary steps during elevated risk and transitions of care.
Brief checklist
- Any suicidal thoughts/recent crisis?
- Firearms present? Storage layers? Who has access to keys/codes?
- Medications: quantities, lockbox, dispensing support?
- Alcohol/substance risk elevated?
- Household vulnerabilities: youth, dementia/cognitive impairment, conflict/violence risk?
- Agree on 1–3 actions and a reassessment date.
Documentation language (example)
- “Collaboratively developed a temporary lethal means safety plan tailored to the home.”
- “Discussed layered storage and access control; patient/household agreed to specific steps.”