ABSTRACT
Safety planning is a critical evidence-based intervention used to prevent suicide attempts. One novel approach to the dissemination and implementation of safety planning in community-based settings is through the use of a Measurement Feedback System (MFS) that delivers Measurement Based Care (MBC). Integration of a standardized electronic safety plan template (ESPT) into a MFS that delivers MBC allows for the integration of evidence-based suicide assessment with safety planning. Using a mixed methods approach, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation process for a developmentally sensitive ESPT for at-risk youth and their caregivers. Specifically, we examined factors that promote and hinder the adoption and effective completion of the ESPT. Thirty-six clinicians completed a pre-implementation training and used the ESPT with youth who reported suicidal thoughts or behavior, and were asked to complete a semi-structured interview around their use of the ESPT. Clinicians reported twice as many facilitators than barriers to implementation. The most common barriers included a desire for closer clinical supervision in ESPT use and lack of mastery of the MFS that housed the ESPT. The most common facilitators included the “user-friendly” structure of the ESPT, importance to clinical care, and supervisor support around use of the ESPT. Results suggest that it is feasible to implement ESPTs in community-based clinics with appropriate administrative support. Data obtained in the present study may be used to further improve clinician uptake and adoption of ESPTs.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2022.2081946
Notes
1 Assumptions of independent sample t-tests and chi-squares were met. However, as t-tests are sensitive to small sample sizes, analyses were rerun using Mann-Whitney U tests and there was no difference in results..