Worthington, Ohio-based I Am Boundless will implement universal suicide risk screening for all patients over eight years old.
The multi-specialty health care and human services provider will develop a screening process that will be integrated into the nonprofit organization’s electronic health record. It will also create clinical pathways to support those who are identified as high-risk. The early detection is hoped to act as a preventative measure for those who have undisclosed contemplations of self-harm.
The program will be developed in partnership with its existing measurement-based care tool partner, Greenspace Health.
“Boundless has a long history of providing person-centered care to individuals with I/DD and behavioral health challenges, and we are continually expanding our services to meet the critical needs of the individuals we serve,” Nathan Henninger, vice president of programs for I Am Boundless, said in an announcement.
I Am Boundless is one of the largest nonprofits in Ohio and one of the few in the U.S. that offers something nearing totally holistic care for those with behavioral health conditions and intellectual/development disabilities. Its services include primary care, dental care, outpatient behavioral health service, residential support and respite services.
Those who complete suicide are likely to engage with the health care system soon before they die. One study finds that about 30% of people had an interaction with the health care system within a week of their death and about half did within 30 days of their death.
Behavioral health screenings are shown to be associated with reductions in suicide attempts. Earlier in a study released earlier this month, the University of Washington School of Public Health found that using a battery of screenings helped lead to lower rates of suicide attempts.
This investment fits into a wide attempt to simultaneously invest in and simplify technology functions at I Am Boundless. The company’s wide-range-of-services play is most effective when provable outcomes are demonstrated with its several payer partners, leading in some cases to value-based care arrangements and reinforcing margins in other cases.