Description of Collaborative Activity: |
NIMH is collaborating with SAMHSA on a project to evaluate the effectiveness of a new training program for telephone crisis counselors at suicide hotline centers. This project is the first controlled study of how trained crisis counselors assess and refer callers, and will provide the first rigorous analysis of the effectiveness of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) gatekeeper program. ASIST involves silent monitoring of calls and follow-up telephone interviews with callers to the hotline, which are used to provide information on the effectiveness of training and the impact of hotline services. The study findings will provide critically needed data to inform policy decisions and plans regarding the optimization of a network of services for imminently suicidal individuals across the United States. |
