SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Initiatives and the Suicide SAFE Mobile Application

Digital solutions, such as mobile applications (apps) and responsive website designs, are becoming increasingly commonplace as tools to support behavioral health and primary care clinical practice. At their least effective, digital solutions have the potential to put functional and technical requirements before considerations for the end-user and/or client in crisis. Many stakeholders fear that this new frontier of cutting-edge resources has the potential to interfere with the maintenance of the therapeutic relationship between the provider and consumer, and silence the voice of the client.  

This presentation provides an overview of current suicide prevention initiatives at SAMHSA, with particular emphasis on the development and functional utility of the SAMHSA Suicide SAFE Mobile App. 

The session uses the example of the development a mobile app - SAMHSA's "Suicide SAFE"- to improve suicide assessment approaches among behavioral health and primary care clinicians. The panelists have all been involved in various aspects of the app development.The  panel discussion exploring how the perspective of the client/patient may be kept central to the development and creation of a digital solution that supports best practices in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of behavioral health concerns.