The DICES® System for Risk Assessment and Management
Evidence
DICES® checklists are exactly that. In other words they are there to tell – or remind – clinicians of the factors they should be considering. For example, 'hopelessness' is established as an irrefutable correlate of suicide risk and that is referenced on the course. 'Exploitation' on the other hand is a much more nebulous construct and has led to considerable debate about situations which can either be viewed as 'exploitation' or as a mutual 'win-win' situation!
We then leave it at that. In other words we don't suggest that there is a straightforward correlation between the number of boxes ticked and the degree of a specified risk. It seems to us that when you look at past situations that have turned out badly it is not so much the misreading of statistical correlations that's been at fault but a much more basic neglect of factors that should not have been overlooked.
DICES® is reckoned to be 'self-evident' – the idea that it is wise for clinicians to have (a) a checklist of items they should consider when deciding whether a risk is 'significant' or not and (b) a checklist of items they should cover when composing a risk management plan. The evidence for individual items on the checklists (e.g. Hopelessness as a predictor of suicide) is referenced on the course.
Quick Links
The DICES® System for Risk Assessment & Management ❯
Feedback for The DICES® System ❯
Evidence for The DICES® System ❯
DICES® Training.
Training to use the DICES® system is availabale in various formats, including a 2-day course (suitable for most people) and a 3-day course (covering everything in more depth with more discussion and examples, and is appropriate for ‘DICES® champions’ and senior staff who may wish to have that extra depth). Alternatively, if you only want one part of the system, there are three 1-day modules available on: Risk Assessment, Risk Management, and demonstrating that you are assessing and managing risk.
