Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)

The CAMS treatment method is developed to help acutely suicidal clients focus on saving their lives. Suicidality is treated as a diagnosis, and the client’s treatment goals are to eliminate suicide intent. The therapist enlists the client in the treatment-planning process and builds a type of alliance that helps them feel validated and supported. Together, the client and therapist identify suicide drivers and employ a variety of evidence-based treatments to address their depression, anxiety or trauma. The treatment is traditionally short, typically around eight sessions. One major asset of the CAMS process is the initial assessment, which provides critical information about acuity and suicide risk, helping the therapist to make informed decisions about the required level of care.