Decision Making in Behavioral Emergencies: Acquiring Skill in Evaluating and Managing High-Risk Patients

When a client or patient presents who is suicidal, potentially violent, and/or at risk of being victimized, this is considered a behavioral emergency, a situation that requires immediate response. The goal of this book is to help clinicians increase their ability to manage stress and decrease its negative impact when making decisions about the assessment and care of these patients. The author presents models for decision making and stress training, guidance for teaching how to evaluate and manage behavioral emergencies, decision support tools, and a discussion of legal and ethical considerations. This very practical approach to required competency will be a valuable resource for psychologists and any other mental health professionals who work in a clinical setting. It is the only known work that advocates for a decision-making model appropriate to the circumstances in which behavioral emergencies often occur. The book is presented by the author as a companion to his earlier book, Behavioral Emergencies: An Evidence-Based Resource for Evaluating and Managing Risk of Suicide, Violence, and Victimization.