Safety planning and lethal means counseling with youth (IN: Youth Suicide Prevention and Intervention, edited by J.P. Ackerman & L.M. Horowitz)

Lethal means counseling and safety planning (i.e., a written list of individualized coping strategies and sources of support) are empirically supported strategies to prevent suicidal behavior. Both approaches are often prescribed as ways to manage clients’ risk of suicide. However, there is limited guidance on how to effectively implement these strategies with youth. In this chapter, we review current literature on safety planning and lethal means counseling and highlight adaptations for working with youth. We further recommend areas for future research in training and implementation of safety planning and lethal means counseling.