Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC)
The Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC) is a Penn Medicine Center staffed by trained, licensed mental health clinicians specializing in suicide prevention care. We are available to treat patients presenting to the Emergency Departments (EDs) or Crisis Response Centers (CRCs) who are deemed at-risk for suicide and are expected to be discharged. Our clinicians meet with patients via telehealth while patients are in the ED to deliver the Stanley & Brown Safety Planning Intervention (SPI). Then, they'll continue following up with patients via telehealth for the next four weeks, coaching patients on using and revising their safety plan and helping patients connect with outpatient care.
The SPI intervention the SPCC team employs has been shown through research to decrease suicidal behaviors by 45%, double the chances a patient will attend an outpatient mental health visit, and increase staff comfort with discharging patients presenting with suicidal behavior.
While we hope to expand the SPCC services in the future, our services are currently only available to a select few EDs and CRCs within the Penn Health System. We are unable to offer services beyond our health system at this time.
SPCC Staff
- Stephanie Downer, MA, LPC, CEAP
- Louidine Joseph-Scott, LPC
- Leese Phillips, LCSW
- Jessica Rae Montgomery, MS, LMHC, LPC
- Jasmine Richardson, MS, M.Ed. LPC
Stephanie Downer, MA, LPC, CEAP
Manager of Psychotherapy, Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC)
stephanie.downer@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Stephanie is the Manager of Psychotherapy for the Suicide Prevention Consultation Center. She is licensed as a professional counselor in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and also holds a Certified Employee Assistance Professional credential. Stephanie has worked in the behavioral health field for over 20 years, serving a variety of settings. Over the years, much of her work has focused on short-term solution-focused intervention, risk screening and assessment, and crisis intervention and stabilization. In her free time, she enjoys live music, spending time in nature, baking, reading, and spectating at her son’s many events.
Louidine Joseph-Scott, LPC
Clinical Psychotherapist, Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC)
louidine.joseph-scott@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Louidine Joseph-Scott is a Clinical Psychotherapist for the Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC). She joins the SPCC with 20 years of experience as an intentional counselor educator. Her career working in the arena of counseling and therapeutic services spans from secondary schools and collegiate settings to nonprofit agencies. Her interest and work experience have been focused on issues related to relationship/family conflict, parenting challenges, crisis care, transitional issues that impact immigrant families, and the impact of financial stress on mental health. Louidine was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She received both her Bachelor in Business Administration and Masters in Counseling Psychology from Temple University.
Leese Phillips, LCSW
Clinical Psychotherapist, Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC)
leese.phillips@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Leese Phillips (they/them) is a Clinical Psychotherapist on the SPCC team. They have 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field, primarily in settings that serve queer and transgender communities in Philadelphia. Leese has worked in a variety of settings, including residential drug and alcohol treatment, community mental health, and family medicine. Their therapeutic approach is relational, trauma-informed, client-centered, and psychodynamic. They are trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Harm Reduction Psychotherapy. Leese received their Master’s in Social Work from Temple University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in PA.
Jessica Rae Montgomery, MS, LMHC, LPC
Clinical Psychotherapist, Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC)
jessica.montgomery@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Jessica Rae Montgomery (she/her/hers), Clinical Psychotherapist, brings a wealth of experience to the SPCC team. She has dedicated her career to working with individuals with serious mental illness, specializing in crisis care and psychosis. Prior to Penn Medicine, Jessica worked as an emergency room crisis clinician at one of Indiana’s Level 1 Trauma Centers. During that time, she also provided psychotherapy in clinic with a coordinated specialty care team focusing on patients with psychosis through Eskenazi Health Hospital. Jessica completed Masters-level training on inpatient psychiatric units and provided research assistance through Johns Hopkins Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department. Jessica earned her Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health through The Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Purdue University Calumet. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in PA and Licensed Mental Health Counselor in IN.
Jasmine Richardson, MS, M.Ed. LPC
Clinical Psychotherapist, Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC)
jasmine.richardson@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Jasmine Richardson (she/her) is a Clinical Psychotherapist for the Suicide Prevention Consultation Center (SPCC). She is licensed as a professional counselor in Pennsylvania. She has a master’s degree in clinical counseling psychology from Chestnut Hill College and a Master’s degree in sex therapy obtained from Widener University. She has 9 years of experience in the behavioral health field, primarily in partial hospitalization programs and outpatient settings that serve individuals dealing with serious mental illnesses. She specializes in solution-focused interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, motivational interviewing and psychodynamic psychotherapy. In her spare time she enjoys reading new books, listening to podcasts, and taking care of her pets.
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