The Suicide Prevention Center: Concepts and Clinical Functions (IN: The Psychology of Suicide: a Clinician’s Guide to Evaluation and Treatment, edited by E S Shneidman, N L Farberow & R E Litman)

The first part of this chapter briefly reviews the changes & the current practices at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center. The second part focuses on the clinical functioning of a telephone crisis service, presenting examples of the types of people who use such a service & the demands that are made upon the centre & the staff. The final section illustrates crisis therapy with a suicidal client & summarizes guidelines for suicide prevention. (12 refs.)