Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality with Dr. David Jobes

What would it look like if we actually asked suicidal clients what was making them suicidal and then treated that? Dr. David Jobes, professor of psychology at The Catholic University of America, director of the CUA Suicide Prevention Lab, and developer of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), joins the podcast to challenge the dominant medical model response to suicidality and make the case for a better way. This conversation covers the history and structure of CAMS, the evidence behind it, how it compares to the safety plan, why the research on hospitalization should change how clinicians think about least-restrictive care, how CAMS works with adolescents, and the full range of training options available today, including the brief intervention model for inpatient and emergency settings.0:00 - Intro and Dr. Jobes's background0:57 - How a philosophy background led to 43 years in suicide research3:09 - What came before modern suicide prevention4:00 - The medical model problem and why hospitalization often increases risk7:01 - Autonomy, agency, and why containment tends to backfire9:38 - How CAMS works: the Suicide Status Form and the collaborative assessment11:36 - Identifying drivers and building a treatment plan around them15:50 - The relationship between CAMS and DBT19:48 - Safety planning vs. the Crisis Response Plan: what the research actually shows23:04 - The marketing problem and how DBT became world famous while better-evidenced tools stayed obscure24:03 - Types of drivers: relational, vocational, and self-related27:23 - Suicidal ideation rates post-COVID and what the data shows30:12 - CAMS is effective at any level of ideation, not only crisis presentations33:07 - How to get started: the Guilford Press book, CAMS Care training, and consultation38:47 - The CAMS Brief Intervention model for inpatient and emergency settings39:49 - Empath units as a model for humane emergency psychiatric care41:21 - Training for teams, systems of care, and discounts for training programs45:07 - Fidelity, training hubs, and the international reach of CAMS48:12 - What CAMS adds that individual clinicians may not be getting in their training51:09 - CAMS with adolescents: autonomy, existential drivers, and the Stabilization Support Plan for parents55:16 - Grant support, funding shifts, and how to reach CAMS Care56:32 - Dr. Jobes on self-care and consultation as an ethical and clinical requirementEpisode Highlights:CAMS is a framework, not a new psychotherapy. Clinicians of any theoretical orientation can use it without abandoning their existing approach.The core of CAMS is a collaborative therapeutic assessment in which the clinician takes a figurative seat next to the client to complete the Suicide Status Form together, with the client as the primary author.The framework asks the client directly what makes them suicidal, then treats those drivers rather than treating a diagnosis or assuming depression is the primary target.The most common drivers identified through CAMS are relational and vocational, not diagnostic. Research on suicidality from people with lived experience confirms that the drivers are rarely the diagnosis itself.CAMS has seven randomized controlled trials supporting its effectiveness for reducing suicidal ideation, making it one of the most evidenced interventions in the field.The research on hospitalization consistently shows that coming out of inpatient care is a high-risk period, and involuntary commitment does not improve outcomes specific to suicide risk. It may incrThe Self Careapist Therapist Podcast is a biweekly conversation with Lorain Moorehead, LCSW a therapist in private practice.  With guests ranging from expert psychologists, therapists, researchers and authors, each episode offers a deep dive and keeps listeners from intern to advanced supervisor  in mind while dropping gems and aha moments for everyone who loves to learn! If you love learning and want to keep track of some future learning opportunities, grab your personal curriculum here!If you liked this episode, feel free to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps us be a top mental health podcast and resource.  See you next week!