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The steps of SAFE-T we've covered so far are:

• Step 1. Identify risk factors.
• Step 2. Identify protective factors.
• Step 3. If the patient is at-risk, ask about substance abuse and/or current suicidal thoughts, plans, behavior, and intent.

Next we'll cover:

• Step 4. Determine his or her risk level and the appropriate intervention.

If the patient is high-risk, a referral for further behavioral and/or mental health services will help her get the treatment she needs. With the patient's consent, you may also call her family in to the hospital to discuss referral options and means restrictions, and she may be moved to another location.

Protocol varies from hospital to hospital, based on services available. Some hospitals may admit patients who are at-risk for suicide, and other hospitals may need to refer a patient to a mental-health facility for additional services.

If the patient DOES have health insurance, in most cases you can contact the health insurance company to get a referral for behavioral health services. When a patient is NOT covered by health insurance, some free or low cost services may be available through crisis line numbers, psych-urgent care centers, community clinics, organizations, or places of worship.

In the state of Arizona, you can:

• Contact the Regional Behavioral Health Authority in your region of the state to locate referral resources.
• If the patient has served in the military, contact the Veterans Administration, or VA, to determine if the veteran qualifies for VA funded services.
• If the patient is an enrolled member of a federally recognized Tribal Nation, contact Indian Health Services (IHS), to determine eligibility for referral resources.
• And, finally, if the patient has any substance abuse issues, the government-sponsored Substance Abuse Prevention Treatment (SAPT) block grant can provide funding to cover the cost of the patient's substance abuse treatment.