Discussion
There are several reasons why Jay requires a risk assessment. Individuals who have psychological distress or mental disorders are significantly more likely than others to be vulnerable to suicide. Further, stressful situations are many times the precipitating cause of suicidal ideation (Hays, 2014). Jay is in a stressful situation as his wife has left him and filed a restraining order against him, he is unemployed, and he does not get to see his kids. Substance abuse significantly increases the risk of suicide for a client. The suicide risk for a person that abuses substances is fifty to seventy percent higher than normal individuals (Berman, 2006). Jay is an active alcoholic, and his alcoholism is as bad as it gets at this moment in time. Finally, Jay has recently had thoughts of wishing he were dead. As described above, several of the red flags for a person that might potentially commit suicide are present. Jay is definitely a potential suicide risk and he requires a risk assessment.
