Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death among adults and older adults. In this workshop you will learn about the major patterns of suicidal behavior focusing on the biopsychosocial risk factors that increase the probability of suicidal actions and the neuropsychiatric conditions most strongly associated with elevated rates of attempted and completed suicide. For immediate practical application we will review the best practices for history taking, interview strategies and the use of brief screening tests that can assist with the identification of at risk individuals. This workshop will also include discussion of issues that may lead to ethics complaints and malpractice suits against mental health professionals.