A growing body of academic research shows that structured, compassionate recovery - not only in theory but also in practice - can significantly reduce suicidal behavior and improve engagement with services. When a person at risk benefits from a collaboratively developed safety plan, followed by caring contacts (such as follow-up calls or messages), they often feel less isolated and better supported.
ASO's follow-up module puts this evidence into practice on a daily basis, helping centers to translate academic knowledge into consistent, caring services.
Academic research: follow-up calls work
Stanley et al (2018) conducted a study in emergency departments where patients received a brief safety planning intervention (a collaboratively developed plan identifying personal warning signs, coping strategies, social supports and emergency contacts), followed by structured, caring calls after discharge. Patients in the intervention group had significantly fewer subsequent suicide attempts than those receiving usual care.
More recent studies confirm this trend. Nuij et al (2021) conducted a meta-analysis of six controlled studies involving over 3,500 participants and found that safety planning interventions reduced suicidal behavior with a relative risk of 0.57. In practical terms, this means that participants who received a safety plan were 43% less likely to engage in suicidal behavior than those receiving usual care. The authors calculated a number of patients to treat of 16, meaning that for every 16 people offered a safety plan, one incident of suicidal behavior was prevented. Similarly, Marshall et al (2022) reviewed 22 studies and concluded that safety planning interventions, whether standard, enhanced or digital, consistently reduced suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation compared with usual care.
In addition, Radin et al (2023) demonstrated that "caring contact" interventions (brief, non-binding follow-up messages after hospital discharge) were associated with a significant reduction in suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in adults, reinforcing the importance of regular follow-up.
Turning evidence into action: our follow-up call and reminder module
ASO is specially designed for non-profit organizations, particularly those focusing on mental health and suicide prevention. The follow-up and follow-up call module puts this knowledge to work, with features closely aligned with best practice.
- Beneficiary-centered outreach: each outreach case is treated as an individual case, whether it involves a high-risk individual, a concerned relative, or someone who is grieving.
- Link to initial contact: when the follow-up call is a response to a crisis call, the initial call is automatically attached to the follow-up file, preserving context and continuity. This allows responders to offer support without beneficiaries having to repeat their experience.
- Prioritization: two simple fields allow you to rank priorities:
- Priority indicator to identify high-risk cases.
- Date of next contact to ensure that each follow-up appears at the right time.
This reflects the clinical imperative for rapid, prioritized follow-up.
- Intuitive real-time dashboards: Dashboards sort follow-up and reminder files in descending order of urgency: cases marked as priority and those with a contact date approaching appear at the top of the list. Teams can duplicate dashboards for different workflows (e.g., follow-up with loved ones or follow-up with bereaved individuals), and responders can filter dashboards to see only the cases assigned to them.
- Detailed record keeping: Each follow-up attempt (date, time, result, and brief summary) is recorded in the file. This ensures continuity between teams and provides a clear history of the case. If a follow-up attempt leads to a full intervention, a call sheet is automatically generated and linked to the contact history, improving record-keeping efficiency and reducing double entry.
- Close or reschedule: after making contact, agents can either close the case or reschedule it by setting a new contact date. Cases naturally reappear on dashboards as their due date approaches, ensuring regular and timely contact.
Why is this application of academic knowledge important?
A theory that isn't put into practice is just an idea. By integrating dunning calls and follow-ups directly into operational workflows :
- Nonprofit organizations integrate clinical standards into the system, rather than relying solely on memory or manual reminders.
- The stakeholders focus on human relations, not administrative tasks.
- Managers have access to transparent dashboards and measurable indicators, which promotes quality improvement.
This means you don't just record dunning actions, but carry them out consistently and efficiently.
Tips for maximum impact
- Train staff to identify priority cases. Provide rapid triage guidelines to help responders accurately assess and report high-risk cases.
- Standardize summaries: encourage the writing of concise but clear notes to ensure continuity and clarity.
- Integrate dashboards into the daily workflow. Stakeholders should check their dashboard at the beginning of each shift when reminders or follow-ups are part of their tasks.
- Monitor key indicators. Use the reports provided by the ASO for your follow-ups to identify strengths and weaknesses in service delivery.
Conclusion
Research shows that follow-up calls and follow-ups are effective. ASO ensures that these best practices are not just words on paper, but are translated into concrete, operational care. Thanks to the follow-up call module, research becomes practice, and practice protects lives.
Bibliography
Marshall, C. A. (2022). Effectiveness of suicide safety planning interventions: A systematic review. Journal of Mental Health Practice, 37(4), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2022.2021234
Nuij, C., van Ballegooijen, W., de Beurs, D., Juniar, D., Erlangsen, A., Portzky, G., O’Connor, R. C., Smit, J. H., Kerkhof, A., & Riper, H. (2021). Safety planning-type interventions for suicide prevention: A meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 218(6), 277–283. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2020.242
Radin, A. K., Brown, C. H., & Jobes, D. A. (2023). Caring contacts to reduce suicidal behavior: A randomized clinical trial. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 53(2), 345–357. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12985
Stanley, B., Brown, G. K., Brenner, L. A., Galfalvy, H. C., Currier, G. W., Knox, K. L., Chaudhury, S. R., Bush, A. L., & Green, K. L. (2018). Comparison of the safety planning intervention with follow-up vs usual care of suicidal patients treated in the emergency department. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(9), 894–900. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1776
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