Pros And Cons Of C-SSRS

Adaptation Decision/Preparation
Outer Context Sociopolitical. The decision to adopt the C-SSRS evolved from the alarming suicide statistics and the drive to use a universal evidence-based assessment tool. Moreover, another sociopolitical factor that influence the adaptation was the ability to adapt the C-SSRS to meet the needs of the different cognitive levels of the students. For instance, the C-SSRS has several versions. The first version is the C-SSRS lifetime version and the second version is the pediatric/cognitive impaired-lifetime recent version. These versions are a reference for language and enables the assessor to probe deeper if necessary additionally, there is a screener version. This version is used commonly used in emergency
Assessing students who may be in crisis can be overwhelming for both the student and assessor. The C-SSRS is short in length and very easy to rate so content and the time factor was a reason that student support staff advocated for the use of C-SSRS. Moreover, the scale appeared to be student and parent friendly. The C-SSRS appeared to be culturally sensitive and student individualized in that there are several ways the specific questions can be asked depending on the student’s cognitive ability. Also, sharing with parents that the scale used to assess their child is one that is used at the hospitals and local mental health agencies. Giving parents with information could cause for less concern of ineffective practices which could potentially turn into a school lawsuit (Aarons, Hurlburt & Horwitz,
(2011) suggested that “organizational structure can also influence the fit between specific practices and the organization” (p.11). For instance, students are in school for at least eight hours a day and they present with diverse issues. Having students being assessed at school maybe their best opportunity to getting the support and attention they need. The school district values safety first and having this as a value does contribute to adopting the C-SSRS as a tool to assess safety. Moreover, adopting the C-SSRS provided opportunities to provide trainings and support for staff and students regarding suicide