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Imagine that your interview with a patient reveals that she may be at risk for suicide. You asked her several open-ended questions that encouraged her to provide information about her overall situation, and you have determined that she needs further suicide screening.

In keeping with the SAFE-T framework, our goal of the suicide screening will be to continue to identify the patient's risk factors and protective factors, and to conduct a thorough suicide inquiry. The steps of SAFE-T we've covered so far are:

Once you’ve identified a student you think might be at risk for psychological distress, you’ll want to approach that student and have a conversation with her. During this conversation, remember:

• 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.