Cams collaborative assessment and management of suicidality

[sadtimes2020]

Has anyone here been referred to this place before I'm north of England and apparently they're going to make me not want to ctb so no idea what to expect ?

 

[2messdup]

Has anyone here been referred to this place before I'm north of England and apparently they're going to make me not want to ctb so no idea what to expect ?

Hope you don't mind me asking but are you 18 years or older?

 

[sadtimes2020]

I'm 29
Have you had experience from this team before?

Hope you don't mind me asking but are you 18 years or older?

 

[2messdup]

I'm 29

Sorry. Had to ask. Thought you meant CAMHS. And double sorry, I know nothing about the cams assessment and management of suicidality. If it does what it says that would be awesome.

 

[sadtimes2020]

Thats alright I've never heard of it before either and can't seem to find anything about it anywhere

Sorry. Had to ask. Thought you meant CAMHS. And double sorry, I know nothing about the cams assessment and management of suicidality. If it does what it says that would be awesome.

 

[2messdup]

Thats alright I've never heard of it before either and can't seem to find anything about it anywhere

I asked chatgpt and it said it was evidence based. It looks good to me- very person centred but obviously I don't know your history. It seems to focus on why you want to ctb and not address any diagnoses. Chatgpt will also show you a fictional CAMS session so you could ask it to do that and see what you think? I would give it a try personally but then I'll try pretty much anything
This is what chatgpt said about CAMS "
CAMS, or the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality, is an evidence-based therapeutic framework designed specifically to assess and treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Key Features of CAMS:

• Collaborative: The clinician and client work together to understand the suicidal experience, rather than the clinician acting as the sole authority.
• Suicide-specific: CAMS focuses directly on the drivers of suicidality, rather than only treating underlying mental health diagnoses like depression or anxiety.
• Assessment tool: It uses the Suicide Status Form (SSF) to guide conversations and track progress. The client rates factors like psychological pain, stress, hopelessness, and self-hate.
• Flexible and adaptable: Can be used alongside other treatments and is adaptable to different settings (outpatient, inpatient, crisis services).

Goals:

• Understand the unique reasons a person is suicidal.
• Co-develop a treatment plan that directly addresses those reasons.
• Reduce suicide risk while promoting coping and resilience.

CAMS has been found effective in reducing suicidal ideation, increasing hope, and improving therapeutic alliance. It emphasizes treating the person, not just the diagnosis."
This was chatgpts version of a CAMS session ---
Here's an example of what a CAMS session might involve, especially during the first appointment:

---

1. Establishing the Collaborative Frame

The clinician explains that they want to work with the client to understand their suicidal thoughts and create a plan that helps them feel better. The tone is non-judgmental and respectful, reducing power imbalance.

Clinician: "I know you're feeling overwhelmed right now, and I want to understand what's making life feel so hard. We'll work on this together."

---

2. Completing the Suicide Status Form (SSF)

The client fills out the SSF, a form that asks them to rate and describe:

• Psychological pain
• Stress
• Hopelessness
• Self-hate
• Suicidal ideation
• Desire to die
• Desire to liveThey also describe what's most unbearable and what helps, even if just a little.

Client (on the form): "What's most unbearable is feeling invisible and like I don't matter to anyone. What helps a bit is cuddling my soft toy and music."

---

3. Identifying "Drivers" of Suicidality

The clinician and client explore the underlying causes of these scores. For example:

• Feeling abandoned
• Loss of identity
• Childhood trauma
• Isolation
• Feeling like a burden

Clinician: "So it sounds like a major driver for your suicidal thoughts is feeling like nobody really cares or sees the real you. Is that right?"

---

4. Developing a Suicide-Specific Treatment Plan

The treatment plan is co-created and addresses the unique drivers.For example:

• Weekly sessions focused on painful memories and self-worth
• Daily coping skill practice (e.g., grounding, soothing strategies)
• Emergency contacts and safety planning
• Writing letters to challenge self-hating beliefs

Plan Example: "This week, I'll practice cold-water grounding when I feel overwhelmed and track how it affects my pain level."

---

5. Ongoing Monitoring

Each session begins by repeating the SSF and reviewing what's changed. It helps track progress and adapt the plan as needed.

---

CAMS helps clients feel understood rather than pathologized, and empowers them to take part in their own healing. Would a sample copy of the Suicide Status Form be helpful to see?
So a bit basic, but then isn't all therapy usually

 

[sadtimes2020]

Thank you. This I really helpful

I asked chatgpt and it said it was evidence based. It looks good to me- very person centred but obviously I don't know your history. It seems to focus on why you want to ctb and not address any diagnoses. Chatgpt will also show you a fictional CAMS session so you could ask it to do that and see what you think? I would give it a try personally but then I'll try pretty much anything
This is what chatgpt said about CAMS "
CAMS, or the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality, is an evidence-based therapeutic framework designed specifically to assess and treat suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Key Features of CAMS:

• Collaborative: The clinician and client work together to understand the suicidal experience, rather than the clinician acting as the sole authority.
• Suicide-specific: CAMS focuses directly on the drivers of suicidality, rather than only treating underlying mental health diagnoses like depression or anxiety.
• Assessment tool: It uses the Suicide Status Form (SSF) to guide conversations and track progress. The client rates factors like psychological pain, stress, hopelessness, and self-hate.
• Flexible and adaptable: Can be used alongside other treatments and is adaptable to different settings (outpatient, inpatient, crisis services).

Goals:

• Understand the unique reasons a person is suicidal.
• Co-develop a treatment plan that directly addresses those reasons.
• Reduce suicide risk while promoting coping and resilience.

CAMS has been found effective in reducing suicidal ideation, increasing hope, and improving therapeutic alliance. It emphasizes treating the person, not just the diagnosis."
This was chatgpts version of a CAMS session ---
Here's an example of what a CAMS session might involve, especially during the first appointment:

---

1. Establishing the Collaborative Frame

The clinician explains that they want to work with the client to understand their suicidal thoughts and create a plan that helps them feel better. The tone is non-judgmental and respectful, reducing power imbalance.

---

2. Completing the Suicide Status Form (SSF)

The client fills out the SSF, a form that asks them to rate and describe:

• Psychological pain
• Stress
• Hopelessness
• Self-hate
• Suicidal ideation
• Desire to die
• Desire to liveThey also describe what's most unbearable and what helps, even if just a little.

---

3. Identifying "Drivers" of Suicidality

The clinician and client explore the underlying causes of these scores. For example:

• Feeling abandoned
• Loss of identity
• Childhood trauma
• Isolation
• Feeling like a burden

---

4. Developing a Suicide-Specific Treatment Plan

The treatment plan is co-created and addresses the unique drivers.For example:

• Weekly sessions focused on painful memories and self-worth
• Daily coping skill practice (e.g., grounding, soothing strategies)
• Emergency contacts and safety planning
• Writing letters to challenge self-hating beliefs

---

5. Ongoing Monitoring

Each session begins by repeating the SSF and reviewing what's changed. It helps track progress and adapt the plan as needed.

---

CAMS helps clients feel understood rather than pathologized, and empowers them to take part in their own healing. Would a sample copy of the Suicide Status Form be helpful to see?

 

[2messdup]

Thank you. This I really helpful

Hopefully someone on here will have more, lived, information.

 

[Xenrii]

Hi, im currently doing this. Tuesday will be my 3rd session. Can i help at all?

 

[GlassMoon]

It sounds very structured, and I love structure. Thank you so much for sharing this, @2messdup ! It also sounds trauma-informed for me, in that emotions are always validated and criticism is kept to a minimum. The final question is of course whether they can help solve the suicidal drivers.

 

[Xenrii]

It sounds very structured, and I love structure. Thank you so much for sharing this, @2messdup ! It also sounds trauma-informed for me, in that emotions are always validated and criticism is kept to a minimum. The final question is of course whether they can help solve the suicidal drivers.

It's very very trauma informed. My worker is so clued up on trauma

 

[LittleMagician]

Has anyone here been referred to this place before I'm north of England and apparently they're going to make me not want to ctb so no idea what to expect ?

No idea this even existed, I thought you meant CAMHS since I have a lot of experience with them as someone who has been mentally ill throughout my childhood and teens :]
Adulthood doesn't take away the mental illness lol

 

[Xenrii]

No idea this even existed, I thought you meant CAMHS since I have a lot of experience with them as someone who has been mentally ill throughout my childhood and teens :]
Adulthood doesn't take away the mental illness lol

It's a fairly new concept to the UK

 

[2messdup]

It's a fairly new concept to the UK

Can I ask is it delivered by a clinical psychologist or CPN or someone else and did you access it via CMHT or a different team? Np if you'd rather not say but I'm desperate for a different approach than my CMHT CPN is using and want to bring it up with him. They seem very short of available therapies.

 

[Xenrii]

Can I ask is it delivered by a clinical psychologist or CPN or someone else and did you access it via CMHT or a different team? Np if you'd rather not say but I'm desperate for a different approach than my CMHT CPN is using and want to bring it up with him. They seem very short of available therapies.

No problem :)
My CPN referred me to them. They are an entirely seperate team of nurses who have undergone specialist training. I see mine at my house each week. I had to wait around 7 months for it though x

 

[2messdup]

No problem :)
My CPN referred me to them. They are an entirely seperate team of nurses who have undergone specialist training. I see mine at my house each week. I had to wait around 7 months for it though x

Thanks. That's really useful.

 

[Xenrii]

Very tough session today. Feel absolutely wiped