Child and Adolescent Suicide Assessment and Prevention

DMH UCLA Public Mental Health Partnership

Presented by Danielle Farmer, MSEd, LCSW. WARNING: This video contains discussions about suicide and may be triggering for some individuals. Numerous studies have highlighted a concerning surge in the mental health challenges facing youth in recent years. As part of this growing concern, rates of suicide risk and completed suicides in children and adolescents have also increased. As of 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24 (CDC, 2020). It is vital that providers working with children and adolescents are equipped with tools for assessing and preventing suicide. In this 2-hour training, participants will learn the current scope of youth suicide in the United States through statistical analysis. Participants will learn tools for identifying warning signs and risk factors for suicidal ideation. Participants will be introduced to multiple age-appropriate tools for assessing suicide risk and ways to leverage protective factors and preventative interventions. Finally, participants will learn de-escalation strategies to minimize traumatic stress while conducting risk assessments. This training is open to all providers and clinicians who work with youth of all age groups.