Collaborative assessment and management of suicidality at Menninger (CAMS-M): An inpatient adaptation and implementation

Abstract

In this article, the authors describe CAMS-M, a novel approach to working therapeutically with suicidal psychiatric inpatients, with the goal of reducing the likelihood of future suicidal crises. CAMS-M, developed at The Menninger Clinic, is an adaptation of the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), a novel framework with promising early research findings in outpatient settings (Jobes, 2006). Here, we provide a detailed description of CAMS-M, describe how it differs from CAMS in its original form, and discuss issues around implementation in a hospital setting. We conclude that CAMS-M holds considerable promise in risk management and therapeutic intervention with suicidal patients in the inpatient environment.