Customer Reviews

The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals and Substance Abuse Counselors

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Shawn Shea's The Practical Art of Suicide Assessment: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals and Substance Abuse Counselors is one of the most valuable professional texts I have read in the past decade. The book combines scholarship, practical guidelines and a literary quality that renders it a truly exceptional book in the field. I found the case examples used to illustrate clinical problems invaluable; these vignettes bring the theoretical material "alive" in a way that encourages clinicians from various disciplines and theoretical orientations to meaningfully incorporate the concepts. Shea elucidates such critical issues as risk factors and risk predictors in such a way as to make constructs that are often reifed once again meaningful. As part of my professional responsibilities, I am responsible for training/teaching mental health emergency clinicians aspects of clinical interviewing and suicide assessment. I have incorporated many of the principles in this book into these trainings. The CASE approach to suicidal assessment is perhaps the best approach to this complex task that I have found. The discussion on "contracting for safety/no suicide contracts" is relevant, congruent with current ethical and legal principles, and reflects the difficult reality of working with suicidal patients. I regularly recommend both this book and Shea's book on psychiatric interviewing to participants in the workshops.

In summary, I highly recommend this text for clinicians from all disciplines and at all phases of professional development. It is a rich text, full of clinical wisdom and scholarship, that both the novice and the seasoned clinician will find themselves reaching for repeatedly. Perhaps the best assessment of the book is the fact that I've tried to keep it on my bookshelf, but it keeps getting borrowed by my colleagues. I've resolved the problem by keeping a separate copy at home. THAT constitutes a valuable book!

There are many books on suicidology and even on clinical interviewing, but none combine the two topics in such an effective and practical manner.

Dr. Shea's book, the second edition to his previous edition, is an excellent tool for any practicing clinician or student. He provides a method of assessment that is quick and efficient without being superficial.

Working in a federal penitentiary, suicide assessments are an important part of my work. I rely on Dr. Shea's assessment techniques on a regular basis because they allow for quick, triage assessments.

I can't recommend a book more highly!

I'm currently in school for addiction counseling and felt this book would be good to read. It is well written and easy to read, with a lot of good advice. As a counselor in preparation I know I will be having sessions with people who are experiencing suicidal ideation, & while I know this doesn't qualify a person to do suicide assessments it certainly gives a good method for drawing out as much information as possible. It makes me feel a little more comfortable about the job I am going to be doing.

This book is very useful for mental health professionals. Even if you're not doing sucide assessment, per se, it's good to know what questions to ask, and how to ask them, of ALL clients!

The book is very well organized and well written. Although I've only read about half of it, I think I've learned a lot, and am looking forward to reading it to the end.

Dr. Shea shares great insights into the interview process for suicidal patients. Too often there is a reliance on demographic or symptomatic factors to determine suicidal risk. Dr. Shea convincingly brings us back to the realization that suicide is an individual choice and the risk of suicide can only be estimated by understanding the individual's thought processes regarding suicide. Theorectically sound and practical book.

This was an excellent guide to suicide assessment and I highly recommend this book to any mental health professional. Beyond that I think this book is valuable for any clinicial who may one day have to talk to somebody about suicide. Well written and organized.

Love this book and have been extremely happy to find this collection in your inventory. Especially at this price. I've found it in many bookstore for considerable more money.

Serving a clinical mental health population with significant suicide risks involves engaging several basic therapeutic models on a regular basis: e.g., CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, crisis assessments and interventions with medical facilities and agencies. Shea's guide wraps around clinical, social and statistical theory in a way that helps clinicians identify subjective events to sort out different levels of risk factors, so as to better assess and help suicidal clients. Lots of specific examples and support knowledge. Shea has designed an interview system (CASE) that helps the clinician to elicit important information and assign appropriate interventions and care. He also emphasizes particular values in documentation of services clearly and precisely with a view to protecting both clients and providers. A valuable resource asset for the clinician.

The book is very usefull for clinicians, it gives you real good tips about when a person is in real risk to comitt suicide. I think it's a great tool for clinical staff to have in treating people who suffer from any kind of mental health problem, as well as for students that are in training. It's wrriten very clear and it's easy to follow.