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I completed my internship with Suicide Prevention Services in Columbus, OH where I answer calls for the National Lifeline, Columbus Suicide Prevention Services, and the Columbus Senior Line. The internship consisted of completing an extensive training over the course of a few months before starting, in order to learn how to properly assess a caller. The following blog post will discuss the method that we use when people call any of our lines which is a technique that anyone can use when encountering a friend or peer who may be suicidal.

The first 5 minutes of the call begin by building rapport with the caller, introducing yourself, trying to get a name from them if possible, listening to the reason they called, and a lot of parroting.

For example:

• Volunteer: You’ve reached suicide prevention, can I help?
• Caller: I hope so; I’m just not feeling like myself.
• Volunteer: You’re not feeling yourself? (Parroting)
• Caller: No
• Volunteer: Well I’m so happy you called, my name is Emily and I’m going to try to help you out today? Would you like to share your first name?
• Caller: Sally
• Volunteer: Sally thank you so much, you are so brave for calling us. Could you tell me a little more about why you aren’t feeling like yourself?

After listening to their presenting problems it is essential to ask the suicide question even if you may not think they are suicidal. Not everyone who calls is suicidal, especially if they are using the Senior Line. Verbally saying “Sally, are you thinking of suicide today because of everything that’s going on?” really puts things into perspective for them when you say it out loud. If the answer is yes, we are trained to follow the acronym PIMP DADS to assess them.

• Plan: We ask the caller if they have any sort of plan. If they say yes, we figure out what the plan is, which they are usually pretty willing to tell. Let’s say their plan is to overdose on sleeping medication.
• Intent: This looks to see if the desire to do this is actually there. During this we may use parroting and say, “you want to overdose on sleeping medication?” They may change their mind with this question.
• Means: Since the caller said they wanted to overdose with sleeping medication it is important to figure out if they actually have the medication, how much of it, and what type it is. This may be useful if we need to contact Poison Control or dispatch 911. It is also important to ask if they have already done something to harm themselves with their means.  We also want to ensure that the mechanism they’ve identified for harming themselves is not right next to them. In this case I may ask if they can put the sleeping medications in another room, in a cabinet, or give them to someone to hold onto. This helps so they aren’t staring at them and continuing to have negative thoughts.
• Prior: We assess if the caller has attempted suicide before. It is important to get the time period as attempting last night versus attempting 10 years ago may have a big impact on the evaluation.
• Diagnosis:  We ask if they have had a previous mental health diagnosis. This can impact our problem solving as we can figure out if they have taken medications prescribed for them or if they are seeing a counselor soon.
• Alcohol: We ask if they have consumed any alcohol. This can impact the their sense of mind. If they answer yes we figure out exactly what it was, how much, and over what time period.
• Drugs: We ask if they have taken any drugs. If yes, we figure out exactly what it was, how much, and over what time period.
• Support: We figure out what type of support system they may have in their life. This can be anywhere from parents, siblings, close friends, religious leaders, or even pets. This can help identify people that they are living for and would be impacted by their death or could help them through this crisis.

This thorough assessment can be manipulated based on different situations, but from here we would begin to problem solve, identify resources for them, or intervene with police etc. All of this information would then be recorded in a detailed online call report.

I am so glad this internship has given me the opportunity to help others in a critical time of need and I am excited to continue this over the next couple of semesters and share what I learn!

-Emily Hayman

For my internship I observed several Occupational Therapists in different settings. I witnessed healing in many forms and was able to notice methods that were effective and distinguish them from methods that were less or even ineffective. This was an incredible opportunity to experience Occupational Therapy in a way that was extremely conducive to learning. This internship has increased my passion for this field exponentially.

I was always aware of the importance of knowledge when it came to healing. Health care providers need to have be acutely aware of the human body and its processes. This applies to an individual’s physical health as well as his or her mental health. It takes years of rigorous schooling and hands-on experience before being able to practice, and even after that there are continuing education requirements. Much of the healing a saw in observing therapy was this “scientific” healing. Therapists would record measurements each week, allowing progress to be quantified. For some patients this was encouraging, for some it was discouraging, and for many, it did not mean much to them. There were also generally exercises involved. They would consist of several motions, each a specific amount of reps at certain times of the day. All the notes, along with detailed images, were often provided to the patient as well. These were all things I expected to see. What I did not realize was what the art of healing was and the impact that it had on care.

When I say “art,” one may think of your favorite painting or maybe even of interpretive dance. That’s at least what initially came to mind for me. I have learned it to be so much more than that. The art of healing encompasses what it means to be a compassionate, empathetic, perceptive provider. This form of healing is in the kindness a provider shows a patient, the act of actively listening, or the personal relationship between the two. My preceptor told me about a time she took a patient to a park to go feed birds from her hand. This patient used to be an avid birder, but with her age, she had become legally blind and deaf and missed being able to see and hear the birds. I witnessed an emotional goodbye between another OT and his patient patient he had been working with for months. This deep, emotional connection was not something I had imagined I would observe in the settings I was in, but there it was.

This experience has showed me that when the science and art of medicine are combined, the product is a well-rounded, educated, compassionate health care provider. My passion for the field of Occupational Therapy has only become stronger through this class. I have been able to learn so much through others; I cannot wait to apply this to my own practice one day.

-Teresa Bell

Accepting a position at your first internship becomes a pivotal moment in our college careers, we are finally getting our feet wet, and getting a sneak peak of what we may potentially do in our everyday jobs. Coming into this internship I knew it was important for me to stay transparent, level headed and organized. Once I was accepted into the internship I knew I needed to keep expectations for myself and also remember my specific duties in this position to make sure I always provided the best outcome. Important duties for the Patient Experience Internship included serving as a resource to families regarding family support services within the medical center, assisting with communication of non-clinical information related to the ICU to family and visitors and making regular rounds in all areas of the MICU and SICU.

When I found out about this internship I knew it would be an amazing opportunity and experience for me. Moreover, when I found out about getting credit through OSU for an internship I knew that it was very beneficial for my education. I really enjoyed taking this course because I think it was important to come home from my internship each day and reflect on what I learned, improved on and could have done better for the next time. Not only self-reflecting, but also hearing about other students’ struggles and strengths is so inspiring and it really helps you connect with others who may be going down the same career path. One very important piece of advice about having an internship and taking this course would be to manage your time and always keep track of the hours you are putting into your internship to assure you are hitting 45 hours.

This internship as a whole has truly transformed my learning in communication and problem-solving skills. I found that it was very important to efficiently communicate non-clinical information to families and patients during a very emotional and stressful time. As a Patient Experience intern, I believe it was also important to be understanding and empathetic when it came down to emotional situations. Additionally, when you receive an internship like this you realize networking is a perk that comes along with it. I have come to learn about many services that OSUMC has as well as creating friendships with many incredible and diverse people who have expanded my knowledge of the medical field. I feel that this internship has strengthened my communication skills as well as inspired me to do what I love and continue to care and help people. I am honored for the incredible opportunity I was given and very thankful for all the people who encouraged me to apply for the internship and those who taught me throughout this experience.

-Sarah Chovitz