How to address someone’s unmet needs

When you are talking with someone about suicide concerns, it can be easy to focus exclusively on the current urgent situation. However, while ensuring a person’s safety is always paramount, it is also important to understand what else is contributing to their current struggle. 

In the SafeSide Framework, we seek to learn about the person’s experiences and context and then offer a response that considers all relevant factors. One way to address challenges and stressors can be to make a referral for unmet needs. 

To do this, we:

• first identify things in a person’s life they may be missing or that could hinder their recovery efforts
• then connect them to other supports to help address these unmet needs.

For example, if you know someone who is struggling with their food budget, you could say:

“You have mentioned to me you’ve had to stretch your food budget and can’t always eat well. If your body isn’t getting proper nutrition, it can make it harder for your brain to focus on daily tasks. Could we work together to identify resources in the community to help you find nutritional foods that fit your budget?”

Perhaps you are working with someone who lacks social supports and needs connection:

“We know that support from people who have ‘been there’ can help someone begin to plan their journey of recovery. I’ve heard you say that you feel you don’t have any social support. Would you be willing to talk to the peer worker in our office and get connected to community programs?”