Suicide risk assessment
Ask directly. Asking does not create the idea; it opens the door. Explore: ideas, plan, means available, timeline, intent, previous attempts, protective factors. Warning signs: giving away possessions, saying goodbye, sudden unexplained calm, statements that everything is settled, sudden lift in energy during depression. A person who has a plan and the means requires close supervision and immediate notification. Never promise to keep a suicidal disclosure secret. 1 866 APPELLE, and suicide.ca for text and chat.