CAMS-care’s mission is to save lives through effective care by training clinicians to treat suicidal patients. In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, CAMS-care is announcing their goal to reach 20,000 clinicians with CAMS training experiences by September 2021.

Developed by David A. Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP, the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) Framework™ is a both a clinical philosophy of care and a therapeutic framework for suicide-specific assessment, management, and treatment of a patient’s suicidal risk. Supported by an extensive clinical trial evidence-base from around the world, CAMS focuses on empathy, honesty, and collaboration to form a strong alliance between the caregiver and patient to motivate the patient to save their life instead of end it.

In their ongoing effort to combat rising suicide rates in our country and around the world, CAMS-care has announced their goal to train at least 20,000 clinicians in the evidence-based CAMS Framework within the upcoming calendar year.

With concerning data about markedly increased suicidal risk, it becomes increasingly critical that systems of care routinely incorporate the assessment and treatment of suicidal individuals with quality, evidence-based interventions such as CAMS. Increasing the number of trained and accredited clinicians and counselors will provide much-needed support, especially during these uncertain times of economic and social upheaval with evidence of increasing anxiety, depression, stress, substance abuse, and serious suicidal thoughts.

“There is a special place in mental health care heaven for clinicians who are able, willing, and competent to see suicidal patients,” says Dr. Jobes. “At CAMS-care, we aim to provide outstanding clinical training in an evidence-based approach that will ensure that mental health providers and systems of care can and will work effectively with confidence and competence to help save lives.”

CAMS-care plans to achieve their goal of 20,000 CAMS-trained clinicians within the next year through their quality online training in CAMS available at the CAMS-care website. To accommodate COVID-19 restrictions, all CAMS training is now available 100% online.

Additionally, during the month of September, in honor of National Suicide Prevention Month 2020, a 20% discount is offered for all CAMS training resources, using coupon code NSPM20 during online checkout.

“The CAMS model and training tools have very quickly helped us to feel more confident and prepared to manage risky patients,” says Eric Lewandowski, NYU Langone. “Assessment and treatment in these cases are often confusing, and we have benefitted greatly from the structure of the CAMS approach, which has helped us on a case-by-case basis to understand the phenomenon of suicide risk and organize our treatment approach. I have yet to find a comparable framework that is as accessible to clinicians and yet so robust.”

CAMS-care now offers the CAMS Trained accreditation program, with 10 hours of online coursework, online role-playing exercises, and a minimum of 4 hours of supervision calls with a CAMS expert. Furthermore, CAMS Trained clinicians are encouraged to be included in the free CAMS Clinician Locator. This tool will become even more critical as states continue to pass laws requiring this type of credential for mental health professionals, and in turn suicidal people and their loved ones will benefit from seeking providers who know how to effectively treat suicidal risk.