Section 4 - Patient Management Tools - Primary Care Pocket Guide - SAFE-T Pocket Card - Safety Planning Guide - Patient Safety Plan Template - Crisis Support Plan

Sep 22, 2026

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Section 4 presents practical tools and printable pocket resources to help primary care professionals prevent suicide. It summarizes key risk and protective factors, provides structured questions for suicide assessment, and includes a decision tree for managing patients at risk of a suicide attempt. The section also includes SAFE-T and safety planning pocket materials, plus templates for patient safety plans and a crisis support plan outlining roles for trusted supporters. Guidance covers when to conduct assessments and how to evaluate risk and protective factors in clinical encounters.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Primary Care Pocket Guide

SAFE-T Pocket Card

Safety Planning Guide

Patient Safety Plan Template

Crisis Support Plan

Suicide Risk Assessment Framework

Risk Factors

Protective Factors

Suicide Inquiry

Many concrete and easy-to-use tools are available to assist you and your staff in preventing suicide. This section includes pocket-sized tools to facilitate assessment and intervention with at-risk patients in the office, as well as templates for helping to ensure the patients’ safety outside of your office. In This Section Primary Care Pocket Guide The Pocket Guide for Primary Care Professionals provides a summary of important risk and protective factors for suicide, questions you can use in a suicide assessment, and a decision tree for managing the patient at risk for a suicide attempt. The card is designed to be printed on both sides and folded in quarters to fit easily in the pocket. Hard copies are available for purchase through the WICHE Mental Health [Program at](Program at mentalhealthemail@wiche.edu)[ ](Program at mentalhealthemail@wiche.edu)[mentalhealthemail@wiche.edu](Program at mentalhealthemail@wiche.edu) or by calling 303-541-0311 . SAFE-T Pocket Card [http://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/suicide-assessment-five-step-evaluation-and-triage-safe-t-pocket](http://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/suicide-assessment-five-step-evaluation-and-triage-safe-t-pocket)card This pocket card, designed by mental health experts for mental health professionals, provides a brief overview on conducting a suicide assessment using a five-step evaluation and triage plan. The website above will direct you to the SAMHSA Publications Ordering website where the card can be downloaded or ordered free of charge. [https://store.samhsa.gov/product/SAFE-T-Pocket-Card-Suicide-Assessment-Five-Step](https://store.samhsa.gov/product/SAFE-T-Pocket-Card-Suicide-Assessment-Five-Step)Evaluation-and-Triage-for-Clinicians/SMA09-4432 . SAMHSA’s free suicide prevention app, Suicide Safe, is based on the SAFE-T card and can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices. More information about Suicide Safe is available at: [https://store.samhsa.gov/apps/suicidesafe/index.html](https://store.samhsa.gov/apps/suicidesafe/index.html). Safety Planning Guide [http://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/safety-planning-guide-quick-guide-clinicians](http://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/safety-planning-guide-quick-guide-clinicians) [The pocket-sized safety planning guide reminds clinicians of the most important points to cover in](The pocket-sized safety planning guide reminds clinicians of the most important points to cover in)[ ](The pocket-sized safety planning guide reminds clinicians of the most important points to cover in)[collaboratively developing a safety plan with a patient. The guide was adapted from content developed by](collaboratively developing a safety plan with a patient. The guide was adapted from content developed by)[ ](collaboratively developing a safety plan with a patient. The guide was adapted from content developed by)[the Department of Veterans Affairs.](the Department of Veterans Affairs.) Patient Safety Plan Template [http://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/patient-safety-plan-template](http://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/patient-safety-plan-template) The Patient Safety Plan Template is filled out collaboratively by the clinician and the patient and then used independently by the patient to help ensure their safety in their day-to-day lives. The Safety Planning Guide (listed above) can be used as a source of questions to ask to facilitate development of the Safety Plan. Crisis Support Plan The Crisis Support Plan is used by the patient and the clinician to enlist social support from a trusted friend or relative should a suicide crisis recur. It explains roles that supportive individuals can take to help protect the person at risk for suicide and serves as an informal contract that the designated support person will fulfill these roles. Active support of a friend or loved one is among the strongest protective factors against suicide. Suicide assessments should be conducted at ﬁrst contact, with any subsequent

FAQs

What does the Primary Care Pocket Guide include for suicide prevention?

It summarizes key risk and protective factors, provides questions for suicide assessment, and includes a decision tree for managing a patient at risk for a suicide attempt.

How is the SAFE-T Pocket Card used?

It provides a brief overview of conducting a suicide assessment using a five-step evaluation and triage plan, with access to downloading or ordering through the referenced ordering site.

What are the main categories of suicide assessment content in this section?

The section outlines guidance on when to assess and organizes clinical content into risk factors, protective factors, and suicide inquiry focused on ideation, plan, behaviors, and intent.

Sep 22, 2026

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