BriefInterventionand Follow-UpforSuicidal PatientsWithRepeat EmergencyDepartment VisitsEnhancesent

We implemented an innovative, brief, easy-to-administer 2-part intervention to enhance coping and treatment engagement. The intervention consisted of safety planning and structured telephone follow-up postdischarge with 95 veterans who had 2 or more emergency department (ED) visits within 6 months for suicide-related concerns (i.e., suicide ideation or behavior). The intervention significantly increased behavioral health treatment attendance 3 months after intervention, compared with treatment attendance in the 3 months after a previous ED visit without intervention. The trend was for a decreasing hospitalization rate. (Am J Public Health. 2015; 105:1570‐1572. doi:10.2105/AJPH. 2015.302656)