It consists of the following: Establishing rapport and listening to the patient's narrative Understanding the suicide attempt, its background, the events preceding it, and the circumstances in which it occurred Inquiring about mental health symptoms and any medications or alternative treatments the patient may be taking for treatment of their mental health condition or relief of symptoms Fully assessing the patient's mental state, with particular emphasis on identifying depression, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, severe insomnia, other mental disorders, and alcohol or drug use disorders (many of these problems require specific treatment in addition to crisis intervention) Thoroughly understanding personal and family relationships as well as social networks, which are often pertinent to the suicide attempt and follow-up treatment Interviewing close family members and friends Inquiring about the presence of a firearm or other lethal means in the house and providing lethal means counseling (this may involve facilitating the safe storage or disposal of lethal means away from the home) Mental health management Safety planning, the first step after assessment, is an essential intervention that is done to help patients identify triggers to suicidal planning and develop plans to deal with suicidal thoughts when they occur (3, 4).