University of Ottawa/Algonquin College Collaborative BScN Program
NSG3137 Mental Health Labs
The ASIST Suicide Intervention Model (SIM) has three phases of caregiving: connecting,
understanding, and assisting. During the "Connecting" phase the counselor's task is to explore the
caller’s [or patient’s/client’s] “invitations” (e.g., presenting problems, stressful life events, feelings such
as anger, loneliness, sadness etc.). Counselors are instructed to explore the meaning of such events to a
caller [or patient/client] and any connection they may have to suicidal thoughts. The “Understanding”
phase focuses on callers’ [or patient’s/client’s] reasons for dying and for living and the counselor's task
is to “listen to/ listen for” these reasons. Counselors are instructed to spend sufficient time listening to an
at-risk person’s reasons for dying with the assumption that doing so can help uncover potential reasons
for living. The last phase of SIM is “Assisting.” The counselor's task in this phase is to establish a
"Safeplan" that specifically addresses each element of risk identified in the previous phases of the
intervention (p. 680).
Gould, M. S., Cross, W., Pisani, A. R., Munfakh, J. L., & Kleinman, M. (2013). Impact of applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST) on national
suicide prevention lifeline counselor: Interventions and suicidal caller outcomes.@Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior,@43(6), 676-691.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12049
Connect
Understand
Assist
