WELCOME TO THE
About the Center
The Center for Risk Assessment (CRA) is led by Dr. Brandon Yip, Psy.D., J.D., and is dedicated to and engages in understanding individual risk for suicide and violence. Additionally, the Center focuses on educating mental health professionals, healthcare providers, and social services paraprofessionals on the assessment and management of suicidal and violent threats.
What We Do At The Center
The CRA digests research and literature on suicide and violent threats to understand their application in real-world scenarios. Additionally, the CRA provides education and consultations to mental health and healthcare professionals, agencies, and organizations regarding suicide, violent threats, and risk management.
The CRA developed the Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) Scale and the Violent Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) Scale for use across a variety of mental health and healthcare settings. We continue to refine these scales to integrate research on risk assessment within culturally diverse populations, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of agencies and the clients or patients they serve.
Suicide Assessment
Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) Scale
The Suicide Risk Assessment Scale assesses an individual on their level of desire, intent, capability, and protective factors, based on the research by Joiner et al. (2007).
The scale applies the research and devises a quantitative perspective of an individual’s risk on acting out on their suicidal ideations.
Joiner et al. (2007) & Yip, Benzaken, & Liu (2017)
Click to view the SRA Scale
Suicide and Culture
Cultural Factors in Suicide Risk Assessment
In suicide assessments of European American, Asian American, and Hispanic American adolescents, a relationship exists between suicide risk and protective factors related to the family system. Specifically, research on European American adolescent suicide assessment more frequently identifies the family as a protective factor. In contrast, research involving Asian American adolescents more frequently identifies family rejection and the pressure to keep suicidal ideation secret from others. Furthermore, a lack of a sense of belonging, perceived burdensomeness, and perfectionism were found more frequently in Asian American and Hispanic American adolescents compared to their European American peers.
Asian American
Hispanic American
Yip (2020)
Click to view the Suicide and Culture Research
Yip, Liu, & Kim/ Bemis (2021) & Yip, Liu, & Murray (2018)
Click to view the Publication on Suicide and Culture Research
Violent Threat and Homicide Assessment
Violent Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) Scale
Violent Threat Assessment Scale was devised to assessing for violent threats and homicide risk in an individual.
The scale evaluates at an individual’s risk of acting on homicidal ideation through a rating scale of desire, intent, capability, history, along with protective factors, modeled after the Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) Scale.
Yip, Benzaken, & Liu (2017)
Click to view the VTRA Scale
More Information
For more information about the scales and assessments, or request a copy of the scales,
please contact the Center for Risk Assessment at byip@drbyip.com
Contact the Center
byip@drbyip.com