Training modules
The curriculum overview stays free. Each lesson below is a full module with practice, simulation, and a checklist.
De-escalation & crisis prevention
Verbal de-escalation, early warning signs, team roles, and safe escalation pathways with physical intervention only as a last resort.
Standards: Aligns with SAMHSA crisis care guidance (least-restrictive, recovery-oriented response) and APA practice guidelines on evaluation and care. Sources: SAMHSA National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance, APA Clinical Practice Guidelines.
Suicide/self-harm risk & safety planning
Structured risk formulation, collaborative safety planning, means-safety counseling, and handoff documentation.
Standards: Uses NIMH's free ASQ screening toolkit for medical settings, NIMH suicide-prevention guidance, APA's Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults guideline, and SAMHSA's 988 Lifeline for follow-up. Sources: NIMH Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Toolkit, NIMH Suicide Prevention, APA Clinical Practice Guidelines, SAMHSA 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Trauma-informed & equitable care
Safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment; recognizing bias; interpreter use; culturally responsive communication.
Standards: Built on SAMHSA's trauma-informed approach: safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration; empowerment, voice and choice; and cultural, historical and gender issues. Sources: SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Approaches.
TeamSTEPPS-style teamwork in psych ED
Briefs, huddles, debriefs, SBAR, call-outs, closed-loop communication, and mutual support under pressure.
Standards: Teamwork drills support the coordinated, no-wrong-door crisis response described in SAMHSA crisis care guidance. Sources: SAMHSA National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance.
Telepsychiatry skills & limits
Virtual assessment etiquette, local tele-presenter roles, privacy, and when to escalate to in-person care (e.g. delirium, severe agitation, tech failure).
Standards: Reflects APA telepsychiatry resources for virtual practice. Sources: APA Telepsychiatry resources.
Restraint alternatives & human-rights aligned care
Prevention-first approaches, sensory and environmental strategies, least-restrictive practice, and post-incident review aligned with human-rights guidance.
Standards: Mirrors SAMHSA's trauma-informed and crisis care guidance, which favors prevention and least-restrictive options. Sources: SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Approaches, SAMHSA National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance.
Physical health deterioration in psychiatric settings
Recognizing and escalating medical deterioration, early warning scores, medication adverse effects, and diagnostic overshadowing.
Standards: Medication adverse-effect content draws on NIMH's plain-language medication guide and APA practice guidelines; co-occurring substance use links to SAMHSA treatment resources. Sources: NIMH Mental Health Medications, APA Clinical Practice Guidelines, SAMHSA Substance Use Treatment Options.
Clinical supervision competencies
Competency-based supervision, direct observation, structured feedback, gatekeeping high-risk skills, and reflective practice.
Standards: Supervisors check practice against APA practice guidelines and SAMHSA trauma-informed principles. Sources: APA Clinical Practice Guidelines, SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Approaches.
Standards & sources
PsychReady modules are aligned with public guidance from three U.S. organizations. We summarize; we don't replace their documents or your local policy.
- American Psychiatric Association (APA): APA Clinical Practice Guidelines, APA Telepsychiatry resources
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance, SAMHSA Trauma-Informed Approaches, SAMHSA 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, SAMHSA Substance Use Treatment Options
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): NIMH Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Toolkit, NIMH Suicide Prevention, NIMH Mental Health Medications
PsychReady is independent and not endorsed by APA, SAMHSA, or NIMH.