Suicide assessment and prevention during and after emergency commitment.

The purpose of this study was to address two primary issues within the context of emergency commitment: (a) the suicide-prevention measures implemented at receiving facilities where emergency commitments occur and (b) the perceptions of key stakeholders about access to community services post-discharge. One hundred seventy-eight respondents who worked in receiving facilities, where emergency commitments occur, responded to an online survey or were interviewed. Respondents indicated the use of suicide-prevention measures such as suicide assessment tools used at intake and discharge and strategies utilized to maintain client safety when the issue of suicidality had been determined at intake. Almost half of respondents (46.6%) described the availability of community mental health treatment at discharge from emergency commitment as being "less than adequate." Emerging themes about community service availability are discussed and include long waiting periods and funding issues.