This document, “Recommendations for Suicide Prevention Hotlines on Responding to Intimate Partner Violence,” provides comprehensive guidance for suicide prevention crisis centers on recognizing and effectively responding to callers experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) in the context of suicide risk. Developed in collaboration with the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it highlights the high prevalence of IPV and its significant correlation with increased suicide risk, including among specific populations like American Indian/Alaska Native, LGBTQ+, and youth.
The recommendations cover organizational preparedness, including policies, staff training on IPV dynamics (including coercive control and mental health/substance use coercion), confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and workplace safety. It offers practical strategies for crisis line staff on engaging callers, assessing for imminent IPV danger, weaving IPV questions into suicide assessments, and collaboratively developing safety plans. The document emphasizes a culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach, fostering empathy, non-judgment, and maintaining staff well-being in this challenging work.