"I am sure you cant comment on a specific case, but in general what kind of sanctions could mental health professionals - who fail to ask pertinent questions - and that has a deadly outcome be subject to?"
The first "sanction" is the feeling of regret and a deep sense of loss of having lost a patient. In addition there is the sanction of a lawsuit, in and extraordinary cases a criminal sanction of criminal negligence. I don't know of such a case being brought criminally, but if the prosecutor was well versed on the SOC for mental health clinicians, and the case was really really bad, it would qualify for the criminal courts.

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Skip Simpson
Simpson & Stacy
http://www.skipsimpson.com
www.suicidelawyers.com