Evaluation of the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (Asist) Program

Gracie Square Hospital (GSH), a psychiatric inpatient facility located in Manhattan, provides advanced, patient-centered behavioral health services. GSH implemented the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) program in 2017 to provide staff training in identifying and communicating with persons at risk for suicide and improve caregivers’ professional competency in suicide first aid. In alignment with the organization’s key mission and core values, GSH sought to understand if the ASIST program was providing staff with the tools and skills needed to provide quality care for their patient populations. GSH engaged the Capstone team to evaluate the method and the program’s impact and efficacy. Through focus groups and surveys, the team identified expectations and gathered feedback from ASIST providers. The team further conducted a thorough review of evidenced-based research and utilized the best available evidence to propose recommendations to GSH about the ASIST program.