Press Room

(7/14/2009 )

Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment, a new manual which offers substance abuse counselors a four-step process for addressing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in substance abuse treatment, is now available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The manual is #50 in the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) series. TIPs are best-practice guidelines used for the treatment of substance use disorders, issued by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). TIP 50 assists substance abuse counselors in working with adult clients who may be suicidal and helps clinical supervisors and administrators support this work.

TIP 50 is organized into three parts:

• Part 1- Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment
• Part 2- Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: An Implementation Guide for Administrators
• Part 3- Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Review of the Literature

Parts 1 and 2 are available in one publication, and Part 3 is only available online. Part 1 covers topics for substance abuse counselors, and addresses the “what,” “why,” and “how” of working with clients in substance abuse treatment with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It provides background information about suicide and substance use disorders, risk factors and warning signs for suicide and a four-step process for addressing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in substance abuse treatment, summarized by the acronym GATE (Gather information, Access supervision, Take responsible action, and Extend the action). Part 2 is an implementation guide for program administrators and presents the benefits of addressing suicidality in substance abuse treatment programs. Part 3, the literature review, synthesizes the most current knowledge and scientific findings on the topic and is only available online at http://kap.samhsa.gov/.

Health care providers will be notified of the availability of TIP 50 through announcements on appropriate listservs. TIP 50: Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment is available on the Web at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat5.chapter.93877. Printed copies may be obtained free of charge by contacting SAMHSA’s Health Information Network by ordering on-line at http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=18118 or by calling at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). Request inventory number (SMA) 09-4381. For related publications and information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov.

Keywords: SAMSHA news bulletin, SAMSHA bulletin, suicide, suicidal thoughts, manual