Collaborative Use of a Variety of Technologies to Deploy New Clinical Tools for Suicide Prevention Donald M. “Gordy” Gordon, Program Analyst, Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at Canandaigua, Joe Huggins MSW MSCIS VISN 19 MIRECC, Steven Miller Program Analyst Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at Canandaigua Collaborative Use of a Variety of Technologies to Deploy New Clinical Tools for Suicide Prevention Donald M. “Gordy” Gordon, Program Analyst, Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at Canandaigua, Joe Huggins MSW MSCIS VISN 19 MIRECC, Steven Miller Program Analyst Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at Canandaigua Abstract A clear and uniform terminology to describe the thoughts and behaviors of patients engaged in self directed violence has been a goal of many mental health professionals. Then, how do large organizations deploy that terminology once it’s developed? In 2010 the Department of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Center for Disease Control, developed a new Self-Directed Violence Classification System, the diagnostic terminology used in that system, and an associated Clinicians Tool based on a decision tree format. Both the Department and the CDC have mandated that this terminology be used in classifying self-directed violence, including suicide. The VA put training teams into the field to familiarize the mental health staff with the new terms and tool. To aid in this effort, several individuals began developing electronic tools. Upon learning of one another's efforts, they prioritized their goals, coordinated their work, and had the new tools rapidly deployed via the web, MS Office tools, Websites optimized for mobile devices, and standalone desktop applications. Integration to CPRS's Suicide Behavior Report and the Suicide Prevention Application Network was coordinated. Of equal importance, outdated tools and terminologies were prevented from being deployed. This presentation is the story of how that effort was accomplished, and the common tools used to achieve it. The Development of a Nomenclature and Classification System The Problem… Field of suicidology challenged by lack of conceptual clarity about suicidal behaviors and corresponding lack of well-defined terminology - In both research and clinical descriptions of suicidal acts Variability of terms referring to same behaviors (e.g., threat, gesture). Often pejorative and based on incorrect notions about seriousness and lethality of methods (e.g., manipulative, non-serious, etc). Consequences… Makes interpreting the meaning of suicidal occurrences more difficult and hampers precise communication on individual or population basis –Occurrences that should be classified as suicidal may be missed –Occurrences may be inappropriately classified as suicidal A Solution to the Problem: The Language of Self-Directed Violence Nomenclature (def.): a set of commonly understood widely acceptable comprehensive terms that define the basic clinical phenomena (of suicide and suicide-related behaviors) based on a logical set of necessary component elements that can be easily applied VISN 19 Self-Directed Violence Mobile Web Decision Tool Using Microsoft Office’s InfoPath, the Clinical Tool’s decision trees were put into a simple electronic format which would lead the clinician to the proper term.