What a Treatment Plan for Suicidal Ideation Looks Like

When a person is experiencing suicidal thoughts, or suicidal ideation, there is always an underlying reason for it. It can be something obvious, like a symptom of depression or bipolar disorder, or it can be less obvious like living with chronic pain or previous trauma. 

For this reason, suicidal ideation treatment requires a structured clinical process, not a single fix. 

A treatment plan for suicidal ideation includes therapy for the root cause of a person’s suicidal thoughts that is based on the severity of their symptoms, includes evidence-based therapeutic approaches, and also makes a plan for long-term care and ongoing support.

If you’re in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline today for 24/7, free and completely confidential support. 

How Clinicians Build a Treatment Plan for Suicidal Ideation 

Suicidal ideation treatment includes several steps that helps a licensed clinician have a better understanding of a person’s suicide risk and what may be the underlying cause for their suicidal thoughts.

The first step is a structured risk assessment conducted by a licensed clinician because the severity, frequency, and duration of a person’s suicidal thoughts will dictate what level of care is recommended.

The risk assessment normally includes the use of screening tools to help a clinician better understand your current suicide risk. The clinician will also talk and “interview” you to find out more about your suicidal ideation and what might be causing it. 

From there, your mental health care team will build you a personalized treatment plan with clear and actionable goals, including a long-term treatment plan for suicidal thoughts. 

Core Components of an Effective Treatment Plan for Suicidal Thoughts

The most effective treatment plan for suicidal ideation is one that fully personalized to the severity of your symptoms and suspected cause. 

Your suicidal ideation treatment plan may include: 

• Individual evidence-based psychotherapy approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Addiction treatment
• Medication management under the oversight of a psychiatrist or medical director, when clinically appropriate
• Family support and education to help your loved ones understand what you’re going through and to provide them with coping skills to better help you for the long term. 

Additionally, your treatment plan for suicidal thoughts will also include the creation of a safety plan. The safety plan is designed to provide you with coping skills throughout your treatment and during your long-term recovery. 

The safety plan isn’t a personal or self-guided step. It’s built collaboratively with your licensed clinician and will help you better understand: 

• Your personal “warning signs” that may trigger suicidal thoughts
• Coping strategies that can help take your mind off your triggers
• Who in your family and friends you feel comfortable going to for help 
• Making your environment a safe space without anything you could harm yourself with
• Contact information for where to go for professional help

Matching Treatment Plans to the Severity of Symptoms

Every person is different, which means every person’s severity of suicidal ideation symptoms can be different from person to person. The most effective suicidal ideation treatment plan will meet you at the severity of your symptoms to provide the most support. 

For example:

• Mild or passive suicidal thoughts require at least outpatient therapy and support. 
• Having moderate, severe, or active suicidal thoughts are considered to be at a much higher risk, requiring an inpatient Residential Treatment.
• Graduates of a residential program can step down to a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for continued care, but in a more flexible environment. 

Why Long-Term Care Matters for Chronic Suicidal Ideation

Many times, people consider suicidal ideation to be something that comes up very suddenly, almost from out of the blue. While that does happen for some, others may suffer from chronic suicidal ideation, where they experience relentless and repeated suicidal thoughts for months and even years. 

For those who have acute suicidal ideation, they may need to go through an intensive crisis intervention to help treat the root cause of the their suicidal thoughts and provide them with the support and tools they need to be successful long term. 

Chronic suicidal ideation treatment calls for ongoing, structured care including continuous monitoring by a licensed clinician, long-term therapies and coping strategies, and a structured enviornment where they receive constant support and can be safe from potential triggers. 

For this reason, chronic suicidal ideation treatment requires a continuous step-down treatment rather than one-time stabilization. This treatment pattern would start with an inpatient Residential Treatment program, followed by a daytime Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and General Outpatient Program (GOP) for long term support. 

Why Ongoing Support Matters After Suicidal Ideation Treatment Begins

Suicidal ideation is not something that can be fixed or “cured.” However, undergoing a personalized and intensive treatment plan for suicidal thoughts can provide you with the support and tools you need to help stop these thoughts from forming. 

After treatment, follow-up care and continued therapy is an important part of a complete suicidal ideation treatment plan. Research shows that people recovering from mental health conditions that can cause suicidal ideation, like depression and addiction, that work through a full continuum of care with follow-up care have a lower risk of experiencing an abrupt stop in their support. 

This “relapse cliff” can happen if a person in recovery is moved back into their everyday life too quickly, causing them to relapse and your suicidal thoughts to come back. 

At The Phoenix Recovery Center (TPRC), our mission is “empowering individuals and families suffering from addiction and mental health disorders, to celebrate life through lasting solutions.” 

This is why as you step down through our program, our General Outpatient Program (GOP) provides you with continued support in your local area, including monthly alumni meetings and weekly AA/CODA meetings to build long-term accountability.

How The Phoenix Recovery Center Approaches Suicidal Ideation Treatment

The Phoenix Recovery Center (TPRC) offers every client a fully personalized full-continuum of care program tailored to their specific mental health care needs.

Our four-part step-down care model includes:

• Our Residential Treatment for treament for suicidal ideantion offers 24/7 care in a 44-bed residential facility.
• Daytime Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) with 21 clinical hours a week of structured, evidence-based care where you can continue to work, go to school, and go home at night.
• Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program (IOP) with nine hours of clinical sessions a week, Monday through Thursday, with both day and evening options available.
• Clients who move through our entire continuum of care have access to our General Outpatient Program (GOP) where you can also begin attending TPRC monthly alumni meetings and weekly AA/CODA meetings to build long-term accountability.

Since 2012, we’ve helped thousands of people just like you living in the Salt Lake Valley and the entire Wasatch Front, including South Jordan, West Jordan, Draper, Sandy, Provo, Orem, Tooele, Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain. 

And our program is fully accredited through several agencies, including The Joint Commission for Behavioral Health Care and Human Services, which accredits and certifies more than 22,000 healthcare programs in the U.S. 

Get Help for Suicidal Ideation Today 

If you’re in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline today for 24/7, free and completely confidential support.

Experiencing suicidal thoughts can be very scary. Many times you may feel like you’re all alone and can’t turn to anyone for help.

The good news is you’re not alone. The Phoenix Recovery Center (TPRC) can help treat the underlying cause for your suicidal ideation, and provide you with the treatment and support you need to be successful for the long term. 

Contact us today by filling out our online admissions form, calling us at (801) 438-3185, or visiting TPRC at 489 W South Jordan Pkwy Ste 400, South Jordan, UT 84095, to have your insurance verified for free and learn more about our suicidal ideation treatment options.