How does the law define "reasonable care" in the treatment of suicidal patients? What are the most clinically and legally appropriate procedures for evaluating and managing suicide risks? And what forms of precautionary planning and documentation are recommended for minimizing the likelihood of malpractice actions? Drawing upon years of clinical experience as well as extensive malpractice claims data and relevant case law, this book outlines effective assessment, management, and treatment procedures that balance the need for high-quality care with the requirements of court-determined and statutory standards. Three widely cited papers on standards of care are accompanied by four new chapters on clinical and legal risk management and issues surrounding pharmacotherapy. Table of Contents Introduction, Bongar 1. Outpatient Standards of Care and the Suicidal Patient, Bongar, Maris, Berman, and Litman 2. Outpatient Management of Suicidal Patients, Slaby 3. Inpatient Standards of Care and the Suicidal Patient: Part I. General Clinical Formulations and Legal Considerations, Bongar, Maris, Berman, Litman, and Silverman 4. Inpatient Standards of Care and the Suicidal Patient: Part II. An Integration with Clinical Risk Management, Silverman, Berman, Bongar, Litman, and Maris 5. Psychopharmacological Treatment of Suicidal Inpatients, Goldblatt, Silverman, and Schatzberg 6. Clinical Psychopharmacotherapy with Hospitalized Patients: A Forensic Perspective, Silverman 7. Legal Issues and Risk Management in Suicidal Patients, Packman and Harris Postscript: Commentary on Chapters 1, 3, and 4, Litman Postscript: Reply to Litman, Silverman from the publisher's website |