State of Oklahoma Selects ERT's Suicide Risk Assessment System

ERT, a leading provider of technology solutions and services that increase the reliability and efficiency of high-quality patient data collection, today announced that the State of Oklahoma, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) is implementing the AVERT™ Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) system as a key component in its development of a public health infrastructure that facilitates suicide prevention.

ODMHSAS has adopted the “Zero Suicides” approach endorsed by the Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (www.zerosuicides.org), and has committed to having all patients proactively assessed for suicide risk. They have chosen the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) for this task. ERT’s AVERT system is a proven, scalable means for collecting patient rated C-SSRS assessments, and will be used to collect the C-SSRS electronically (eC-SSRS) from mental health patients throughout the state.

“We are very pleased to embark on this partnership with ERT as a part of our Zero Suicide Initiative,” said Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Deputy Commissioner of Recovery and Treatment, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. “We anticipate that with our planned spectrum of screening, assessment, and evidence based treatment utilizing the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework, many lives will be saved.”

Having been used over 160,000 times to assess over 35,000 patients, AVERT is a reliable, efficient, and scalable solution for SRA in clinical practice. AVERT electronically administers scientifically proven assessments in audio or visual formats, enabling patients to comfortably and privately report their suicidal ideation and behaviors (SIB). By collecting SIB data directly from patients, AVERT reduces the risk of patient non-disclosure and assessor variability while reducing the burden on healthcare staff. When AVERT identifies a patient at risk, his or her clinician is alerted immediately, enabling them to take appropriate action.

“We are pleased to work with ODMHSAS as they bring state of the art suicide risk assessment to patients in their care,” said Jeffrey Litwin, M.D., CEO of ERT. “By implementing the AVERT system, they have embraced the patient self-report approach to the C-SSRS which will deliver reliable data, reduce staff burden and facilitate better care for their patients at risk of suicide.”

For more information on AVERT, please visit www.ert.com/AVERT.