Summary: Suicide rates among youths in foster care are among the highest in the United States. Despite this fact, many foster-care agencies do not perform universal suicide-risk assessments as part of routine care. This commentary includes an argument for the importance of implementing universal suicide-risk assessments for youths in foster care.
Application: Several possible strategies for implementing universal suicide-risk assessments are offered; the pros and cons of each strategy are discussed. Case managers may be the optimal stakeholders for implementing universal suicide screening because of their frequent access to youths in foster care; therefore, case managers should receive training in suicide-risk assessment and prevention strategies.
Source: Perspectives on Psychological Science
