A positive screen in an emergency department or clinic is a starting point, not a disposition. Whatever the follow-up model, the period after discharge is when risk is concentrated and contact most often lapses.
Two things are established practice: a written safety plan made with the patient before they leave, and a specific follow-up contact rather than an open invitation to return. Discussing access to lethal means, including stored medicines, belongs in the same conversation.
- Write a brief safety plan with the patient: warning signs, coping steps, people and services to contact.
- Ask about access to lethal means, including stockpiled tablets, and agree how to reduce it.
- Book a named follow-up contact with a date before discharge.
- Involve a family member or carer for adolescents, with the young person's agreement where possible.
Why it matters
The weeks after a positive screen are when contact most often falls away.
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