Risk Management with Suicidal Patients

"One-third of the psychologists and half the psychiatrists in this country will find themselves snared in malpractice actions in the course of their careers. These imbroglios usually drag on several years; practitioners pay a heavy price and at best can expect a searing emotional experience before such a case is concluded. If you want to keep out of painful lawsuits, study this book. Its contributors are a 'who's who' in suicide studies, and it reads as though it was written on the courthouse steps. Knowing what is in this book is the practitioner's best prophylaxis for safe practice." --John T. Maltsberger, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School "I found chapter seven to be especially interesting, presenting 'an overview of psychology and the law, ' and accurately expanding on the issue of malpractice. The chapter on psychopharmacology could, as well, be of special interest to the non-prescribing practitioner, as it covers basic therapeutic strategies common to our practice." --"Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law" .,."forensic sections of this book are excellent. Issues regarding managed care and liability shared with third-party payers are discussed thoughtfully....helpful guidelines are identified about how courts assign liability, many illustrative examples are provided about common mistakes and malpractice decisions, and nonlawyer readers learn useful information about forseeability and proximate cause as the cornerstones of a negligence charge." --"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy" .,."this book provides a useful guide for professionals in integrating risk management strategies into their daily practices. It not only outlines treatment situations that can lead to litigation, but provides useful guidelines that can reduce the potential of litigation for clinicians and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome from litigation that results from a suicide. Most important [it] is a reminder to professionals that even in this world of managed care and increasing litigation, we must not allow fear of liability to affect our good clinical judgment when it comes to the treatment we provide to our patients." --"Psychiatric Services"