A Framework for Strengthening Youth Suicide Prevention, Improving Youth Mental Health (Webinar)

This webinar will explore the potential of state policies and investments that allow for an “upstream” approach to youth mental health and suicide prevention. This approach focuses on community-based interventions before the point of crisis, with the goals of creating safe environments and a sense of belonging for teens and preventing youth suicide.

All legislators, legislative staff and other state health leaders are encouraged to participate.

This learning opportunity is the result of a partnership between The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Legislative Conference and the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues. It will feature insights from leading researchers as well as an overview of related laws and legislative trends on suicide prevention. The MLC Health & Human Services Committee is hosting the webinar.

Details on the webinar

Most suicide prevention occurs in the moment of crisis — calls to hotlines, visits to the emergency department, etc. — and is targeted to individuals in immediate risk of death by suicide.

Less attention is paid to interventions that happen well before the point of crisis. These upstream approaches occur at the group, school and community levels; they are designed to prevent youths from getting to the point of crisis.

What is the evidence for upstream approaches? Can they help create safe environments and belonging for teens and prevent youth suicide? What are the policy approaches that support upstream suicide prevention?

These and other questions will be explored in the webinar, whose featured presenters will include Sarah Brummett, chief operating officer for Sources of Strength; and Holly Wilcox, a professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as well as the founder and director of the school’s Center for Suicide Prevention.

Together, they will help webinar participants learn more about comprehensive frameworks for youth suicide prevention that are grounded in public health and community approaches.