Upon intake, a client states that she “feels like hurting herself, but will be fine.” She assures the social worker that she will not act on her feelings. In order to best assist the client, the social worker should first _________.

Despite the client’s report that she will not act on her thoughts, she is at risk because she has these feelings. The case vignette does not describe the social worker taking any action yet. A safety assessment will determine the severity of the depression and whether she is at risk for a suicide attempt. It must be done FIRST before any other action is taken.