EFTA00034007.pdf

I i t • NYM.5324.08d Suicide Prevention Program U.S. Department of Justiee Federal Bureau of Prisons Metropolitan Correctional Center New York, NY 10007 Institution Supplement OPI: Psychology Department NUMBER: NYM5324.08d DATE: May 21, 2013 SUBJECT: Suicide Prevention Program 1. PURPOSE: The prevention of self-destructive behavior is an essential component in the care, custody, and control of the inmate population. The procedures outlined below will be implemented to avert the loss of life, and to diminish the potential for further suicidal behavior. 2. The stress associated with incarceration, as well as unpredictable stressful events, can result in the motivation to commit suicide. Early identification of self-destructive potential in conjunction with appropriate physical and mental health interventions and coordinated follow-up can reduce the likelihood of injury, fatality, and further self-destructive behavior. DIRECTIVES AFFECTED Directive Referenced: P.S. 5324.08 Suicide Prevention Program, dated April 5, 2007. Directive Rescinded: NYM 5324.05c, Suicide Prevention Program, dated December I. 2006. 3. RESPONSIBILITIES: The Chief Psychologist or his/her designee is designated as the Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator. 4. PROCEDURES: A. REFERRAL: All staff shall immediately refer potentially suicidal inmates to Psychology Services for evaluation. During non -regular working hours, the inmate will be referred to the Operations Lieutenant and the Physician's Assistant on duty. Should the Physician's Assistant determine that the inmate is at serious risk for inflicting self -harm, he/she will inform the CONFIDENTIAL SDNY_00009842 EFTA00034007 NYM.5324.08d Suicide Prevention Program Operations Lieutenant, who in turn, will contact the On -Call Psychologist who will determine if a suicide watch will be initiated. However, in an emergency situation if a Physician's Assistant is not available, any staff member can initiate a suicide watch. The Operations Lieutenant should immediately be contacted, who will then immediately contact the On -Call Psychologist. Psychology Services Inmate Questionnaire (PSIQ): This form (attachment 1) will be distributed in Receiving and Discharge during the intake screening process. Staff (Medical, Psychology, or Lieutenants) conducting the psychosocial interview will review the PSIQ for completion, check the inmate's response to item #7, i.e., "Are you considering suicide now?" and sign his/her name next to item #7. Outside of regular working hours and in the absence of any Psychologist at the institution, without exception, all inmates endorsing item #7 (current suicidal thoughts) or appearing to be potentially suicidal as determined by the staff member conducting the psychosocial interview, will be placed on suicide watch, pending direct interview by a Psychologist. The Operations Lieutenant will be contacted immediately and he/she will in turn notify the Psychologist as soon as possible about the new suicide watch. In the rare case the On -Call psychologist cannot be reached promptly, reasonable efforts should be made to contact another Psychologist. If there is a mid -level provider or Physician Assistant at the institution during non -routine hours, he/she will be called for further evaluation if the inmate endorses item #7, appears highly emotionally distressed, and/or displays unusual behavior (e.g., crying, shaking, talking to himself, paranoid, etc.). Airing routine working hours, the "duty psychologist" will be called immediately by radio for further evaluation of any inmate who endorses item #7, appears highly emotionally distressed, and/or displays unusual behavior. Referred inmates should be kept under direct observation of staff until the Psychologist arrives. B. MAINTENANCE: When a suicide watch is initiated, the suicidal inmate will be placed under continuous visual observation. The following maintenance procedures will be followed: When there is an inmate in the institution placed on a suicide watch, the suicide watch will be in the 2nd floor suicide prevention area and conducted by inmate companions, unless staff are required for the suicide watch. If staff are used for the suicide watch, there are Post Orders explaining the suicide watch procedures in detail that must be signed by all staff before they assume this post. Inmate companions may only watch suicidal inmates of the same gender. The Unit 2 Officer is responsible for making rounds and signing the suicide watch log every hour. FXCEPTIONS: The following exceptions to the above procedures will apply: 2 CONFIDENTIAL SDNY_00009843 EFTA00034008 C. NYM.5324.08d Suicide Prevention Program 1. All Unit 3 inmates placed on a suicide watch will be observed only on Unit 3 (cell C02-313) by Unit 3 inmate companions or staff only. 2. If a suicide watch is being conducted in the 2nd floor suicide prevention area, an inmate of the opposite gender will not be placed on suicide watch in the 2nd fl oor suicide prevention area. The suicide watch with an inmate of the opposite gender will be conducted in an alternate location. See #3 below for the alternate locations. Therefore, if there is a male inmate on suicide watch in the suicide prevention area and a female inmate suicide watch is initiated, the female inmate will be placed on Unit 2 (cell B01-211) with a female inmate companion. If there are two female inmates on suicide watch in the suicide prevention area and a male inmate suicide watch is initiated, the male inmate will be placed on 9 South (Z03-965, H tier, Hard cells #1, #2) on suicide watch with a staff member watching the inmate. 3. A suicide watch room waiver has been approved for alternate suicide watch rooms when needed other than the 2 suicide watch rooms in the suicide prevention area. They are as follows: Unit 2 (cell B01-211), Unit 3 (cell C02- 313), 9 South (cell Z03-965), and 10 South Lower — H tier (Hard cells #1 and #2). OPERATIONAL, PROCEDURES: 1. Suicide Watch Requirements: Before placing a suicidal inmate in a suicide watch room, the room will be thoroughly inspected and the inmate will be strip -searched to ensure that he/she does not have access to any items which could be used to injure him/herself or others. Normally potentially suicidal inmates will be required to wear a suicide watch gown. Unless otherwise specified by the Program Coordinator or her designee, the inmate will be allowed a suicide watch blanket. The inmate will never be allowed razors, shoelaces, belts, sheets, metal cans, or other sharp objects. In the suicide watch log book, there will be a list specifying items that the inmate may be allowed in the suicide watch room, as well as any special instructions for the management of the inmate on watch. 2. Monitoring and Psychological Interviews of Inmates on Suicide Watch: All inmates on Suicide Watch must be observed directly by staff or inmate companions at /ILL