The Columbia Protocol, also known as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), facilitates suicide risk assessment through a series of straightforward questions that anyone can ask. The responses help determine if someone is at risk of suicide, assess the severity and urgency of the risk, and identify the level of support needed. Users of the tool inquire about:

• Whether and when the person has had thoughts of suicide (ideation)
• What steps they have taken — and when — to plan or prepare for suicide
• Whether and when they attempted suicide or started an attempt that was interrupted or voluntarily stopped