The CAMH Simulation Centre has designed and developed an innovative Virtual Reality (VR) suicide risk assessment training. This training is targeted towards medical, nursing, and interprofessional students and new-to-practice clinicians as a training on how to conduct a suicide risk assessment that is based on national guidelines and best practices.

This VR suicide risk assessment training offers participants the opportunity to complete a suicide risk assessment with two different avatar patients. Both patient scenarios include an avatar preceptor, who guides participants through the VR scenario from beginning to end; the preceptor initially teaches participants the theoretical suicide risk assessment framework used in the game, and works with learners to reflect and categorize the risk and protective factors they uncovered during their patient interactions, ending with identifying the level of risk for each avatar patient.

This VR training is also offered across two modalities; an in-person group training where participants don virtual reality headsets and engage in a facilitator led debrief, and an asynchronous individual option where learners can complete the training remotely on their computers on their own time.

This project was funded through eCampusOntario. If you work in a post-secondary institution, you can access the full training through the eCampusOntario open library.

Interested in learning more? Contact simulation.centre@camh.ca.