This program is for clinicians and professionals who treat adolescents and adults who have recently attempted to commit suicide or who are at high risk for doing so and their patients.

Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), a community-based program, is designed to modify clinician behaviors, strengthen the clinician-patient relationship, foster self-understanding in patients, and enhance patient motivation to take an active role in creating their treatment plan to reduce suicide risk.

CAMS has been evaluated in numerous randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized trials. In general, results indicate that CAMS may improve outcomes, such as decreased suicidal ideation and mental health distress and increased hope. In some cases, these outcomes may be reached more quickly for CAMS participants compared to those receiving treatment as usual or other forms of therapy, such as dialectical behavior therapy. However, over time (e.g., at 6- and 12-months after baseline), results indicate similar improvements in treatment and control groups and differences between groups are no longer significant. Evidence suggests that CAMS may be less effective for those who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, who struggle with substance abuse, and who are at chronic suicide risk or have a history of multiple suicide attempts.

CAMS seeks to change the way clinicians identify, engage, assess, and treat suicidal patients. The program utilizes a problem-focused treatment method in which suicidality is viewed as an effort to cope or problem solve and is targeted as the central issue rather than as a symptom of a psychiatric illness. Collaboration between clinicians and patients is emphasized as clinicians practice honesty, empathy, and non-judgment, and patients provide input on what is or is not working and actively engage in developing their treatment plans. The program consists of assessment and interventions that seek to target direct and indirect factors that increase suicide risk. Clinicians utilize the Suicide Status Form (SSF) to assess risk, guide treatment, and track progress. CAMS focuses on five main components of collaborative clinical care:

• Collaborative assessment of suicidal risk - Complete the SSF, which assesses a patient's psychological pain, stress, agitation, hopelessness, self-hate, and overall suicide risk, to deconstruct the patient's suicidality;
• Collaborative treatment planning - Target and treat the factors that drive or prompt suicidality;
• Collaborative deconstruction of suicidogenic problems - Explore relationship, vocational, and self-esteem issues and the general utility of suicidal coping;
• Collaborative problem-focused interventions - Utilize cognitive therapy, mindfulness, or other approaches to address individual problems that are targeted as suicide risk factors and create alternatives to suicidality as a coping mechanism; and
• Collaborative development of reasons for living - Create a life worth living that is defined by purpose and meaning, and set goals for the future.

CAMS is generally implemented in an outpatient setting; however, it can be modified for use in inpatient settings. In addition, the program may be delivered individually or in a group format.

CAMS was created in 1998 and has been implemented with a variety of patients and across different clinical settings. The program has also been implemented among active duty Service members and veterans.

CAMS is implemented by licensed, professional clinicians; case managers; or paraprofessionals. Training is required and consists of a 3-hour, online foundational video course; 7 hours of online or onsite role-play training; and four 1-hour consultation phone calls. Additional requirements must be met for certification. Please visit https://cams-care.com/training-certification/ for more information.

Considerations for implementing this program include hiring therapists with suitable education and credentials and who are willing to adopt the CAMS philosophy of working closely with patients during treatment, making arrangements for therapists to receive training, acquiring participant buy-in, locating space to hold sessions, and ensuring the program is delivered with fidelity.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing CAMS, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Sessions are held weekly for 50 to 60 minutes. Program duration is variable and is determined by the length of time it takes for suicidality to resolve (i.e., three consecutive sessions in which the participant experiences no suicidal thoughts, urges, or behaviors). Typical program length is 4 (i.e., initial session, two tracking sessions, and one outcome session) to 12 sessions.

Please use details in the Contact section for information on implementation costs.

To move CAMS to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least two evaluations must be conducted demonstrating sustained positive effects lasting at least two years from the beginning of the program or at least one year from program completion. One of these evaluations must be conducted independently of program developers.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact CAMS-care by visiting https://cams-care.com/about-us/contact-us/

https://cams-care.com/

Andreasson, K., Krogh, J., Wenneberg, C., Jessen, H. K. L., Krakauer, K., Gluud, C., … Nordentoft, M. (2016). Effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy versus collaborative assessment and management of suicidality treatment for reduction of self-harm in adults with borderline personality traits and disorder-A randomized observer-blinded clinical trial. Depression and Anxiety, 33(6), 520-530. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22472

Comtois, K. A., Hendricks, K. E., DeCou, C. R., Chalker, S. A., Kerbrat, A. H., Crumlish, J., … Jobes, D. (2023). Reducing short term suicide risk after hospitalization: A randomized controlled trial of the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality. Journal of Affective Disorders, 320, 656-666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.042

Comtois, K. A., Jobes, D. A., S. O'Connor, S., Atkins, D. C., Janis, K., E. Chessen, C., … Yuodelis-Flores, C. (2011). Collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (CAMS): Feasibility trial for next-day appointment services. Depression and Anxiety, 28(11), 963-972. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20895

Ellis, T. E., Rufino, K. A., & Allen, J. G. (2017). A controlled comparison trial of the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (CAMS) in an inpatient setting: Outcomes at discharge and six-month follow-up. Psychiatry Research, 249, 252-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.01.032

Ellis, T. E., Rufino, K. A., Allen, J. G., Fowler, J., & Jobes, D. A. (2015). Impact of a suicide-specific intervention within inpatient psychiatric care: The collaborative assessment and management of suicidality. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 45(5), 556-566. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12151

Gutierrez, P. M., Johnson, L., Podlogar, M. C., Hagman, S., Muehler, T. A., Hanson, J., … O'Connor, S. (2021). Pilot study of the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality—group. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12817

Jobes, D. A., Comtois, K. A., Gutierrez, P. M., Brenner, L. A., Huh, D., Chalker, S. A., … Crow, B. (2017). A randomized controlled trial of the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality versus enhanced care as usual with suicidal soldiers. Psychiatry, 80(4), 339-356. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.2017.1354607

Jobes, D. A., Wong, S. A., Conrad, A. K., Drozd, J. F., & Neal-Walden, T. (2005). The collaborative assessment and management of suicidality versus treatment as usual: A retrospective study with suicidal outpatients. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 35(5), 483-497. https://doi.org/10.1521/suli.2005.35.5.483

Pistorello, J., Jobes, D. A., Gallop, R., Compton, S. N., Locey, N. S., Au, J. S., … Jeffcoat, T. (2021). A randomized controlled trial of the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (CAMS) versus treatment as usual (TAU) for suicidal college students. Archives of Suicide Research, 25(4), 765-789. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2020.1749742

Ryberg, W., Zahl, P., Diep, L. M., Landrø, N. I., & Fosse, R. (2019). Managing suicidality within specialized care: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 249, 112-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.02.022

Santel, M., Neuner, F., Berg, M., Steuwe, C., Jobes, D. A., Driessen, M., & Beblo, T. (2023). The collaborative assessment and management of suicidality compared to enhanced treatment as usual for inpatients who are suicidal: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1038302

Please contact the Clearinghouse for a full list of articles not used for placement.