ABSTRACT
At a recent suicide prevention outreach training, a social worker from the audience voiced a concern that many clinicians have—“If I ask my clients about suicide, I will alienate them. It’s awkward to ask people if they want to kill themselves. I sometimes worry that if I mention suicide I may put the idea into the head of a client and I am afraid to do so.” On the other hand, Veterans and other clients report they will not volunteer information about suicidal thinking or planning because it is embarrassing and difficult, and might make their providers uncomfortable. If we as mental health professionals do not ask about suicide, who will? Suicide risk assessment must be an essential aspect of our work with clients, including Veterans. In this chapter, we will present salient issues pertaining to Veterans and suicide, detail a comprehensive suicide risk assessment procedure, and provide treatment recommendations and resources for suicidal individuals.
