Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative

The Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative’s focus is on the full spectrum of care including screening, risk assessment, safety planning, treatment, and care transitions so that every youth and family receives consistent, compassionate, and effective support.  

Key areas of focus include:  

• Expanding workforce education and strengthening training for frontline healthcare providers. This includes developing just-in-time resources that can be adapted across pediatric care settings, as well as more specialized training for staff working directly with youth and families in crisis. 

• Engagement Forums are hosted virtually to bring together healthcare professionals to share lessons learned, collaborate on implementation, and continually enhance suicide prevention care.  

• Partnering with organizations dedicated to trauma-informed care, depression and anxiety treatment, firearm injury prevention, and lethal means safety to build a broader network of support for youth and families. Through these collaborations, we seek to translate evidence-based interventions to clinical practice and provide more specialized resources.  

• Development of the Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative Toolkit, a practical, evidence-based resource designed to equip providers with the latest best practices for engaging and supporting children, teens, and families during a mental health crisis. 

Our lead team brings together representatives working in mental health from across C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital who share a commitment to building a safer, more responsive healthcare environment for patients at risk of suicide. Meeting twice a month, the team works to advance key initiatives shaped by the voices of patients, families, and healthcare teams while guided by the evidence based Zero Suicide framework. 

The steering committee brings together key stakeholders from across our pediatric and adult hospitals, as well as ambulatory services. Members represent a wide range of expertise including clinical care, research, project management, and disciplines such as medicine, nursing, social work, and psychology. Importantly, we also welcome individuals with lived experience, who work alongside providers to share their perspectives, ensuring our efforts are grounded in real-world needs.