Risk Management with Suicidal Patients

How does the law define "reasonable care" in the treatment of suicidal patients? What are the most clinically and legally appropriate procedures for evaluating and managing suicide risks? And what forms of precautionary planning and documentation are recommended for minimizing the likelihood of malpractice actions? Drawing upon years of clinical experience as well as extensive malpractice claims data and relevant case law, this book outlines effective assessment, management, and treatment procedures that balance the need for high-quality care with the requirements of court-determined and statutory standards. Three widely cited papers on standards of care are accompanied by four new chapters on clinical and legal risk management and issues surrounding pharmacotherapy. Offering frank, balanced coverage of an extremely challenging clinical situation, Risk Management with Suicidal Patients helps psychologists, psychiatrists, and other practitioners develop their own clinically and legally informed strategies for providing the best possible care. It is also an invaluable resource for legal professionals, and may serve as a text in psychology and psychiatry ethics courses and courses on mental health law.