The Columbia Suicide Severity Risk Scale (C-SSRS) screening tool is part of the NextGen Behavioral Health Suite workflow. Developed by researchers at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, and New York University, the C-SSRS is designed to assess suicidal ideation and behavior. It rates the severity of suicidal ideation on a scale from "wish to be dead" to "active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent and behaviors." Questions are phrased for use in an interview format, but the C-SSRS can also be completed as a self-report measure if necessary. The scale identifies behaviors that may indicate an individual's intent to complete suicide. An individual exhibiting even a single behavior identified by the scale was 8 to 10 times more likely to complete suicide.
- Open NextGen® Enterprise EHR.
- For a patient encounter, open a template.
- In the header link section, select Screening Tools.
The Screening Tools template opens.
- Select Columbia Suicidal Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
The BH - C-SSRS template opens.
- Complete the following panels:
- Suicidal Ideation
- Intensity of Ideation
- Suicidal Behavior
There are some questions that require a number response and/or description.
Based on the answers, a risk level appears in the
Calculated Risk Level field. The score can be overwritten if the user believes the information provided in the
Intensity of Ideation and
Suicidal Behavior panels warrant it.
- Select Save & Close.
Note: If the documented responses indicate that a client is at high risk for suicide, a system message appears for the user to confirm if they want to add a chart suicide alert to Patient Alerts.
The documented C-SSRS data appears in the Screening Tools template with the risk level displayed in the Interpretation column. The information also appears on the Order Management template, including the SNOMED® code for Suicide Risk Assessment.
