Suicide Prevention Intervention Projects
The goal of our data braiding work is to bring together publicly-available administrative data at national, state, and district levels to better identify trends in suicidal behaviors, the place-based factors that contribute to these trends, and policy levers for altering them, to offer new solutions for youth suicide prevention. While this work is in the pipeline, we are actively striving towards making information openly and easily accessible (read about the YRBS and ARCADIA packages below!).
Directing Change is a school-based mental health and suicide prevention program designed and implemented by Youth Creating Change designed to shift norms around suicide prevention within schools and communities. Framed as a film contest, the program has engaged diverse youth across California for nearly a decade. Students create short films on mental health and suicide prevention, applying their knowledge through hands-on filmmaking and communicating action-oriented, culturally relevant messages to peers. This process promotes learning of suicide warning signs, encourages help-seeking behavior, and aims to reduce stigma.
WeCare addresses rising suicide attempts among Black youth by implementing a system-level strategy in emergency departments to improve risk identification and connection to care. It integrates two evidence-based approaches: universal screening using the Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth and an adapted SAFETY-ACUTE model that works with Black youth, families, and community stakeholders to address treatment barriers. The program also includes follow-up text messaging to enhance engagement. WeCare aims to increase referrals treatment engagement and reduce suicidal ideation and behavior, supporting national goals for youth suicide prevention and providing a model for scalable, transformative change.
Aligned projects
In its initial phases, the SMART Beginnings project aimed to enhance school readiness in low-income families by promoting positive parenting practices and reducing psychosocial stressors starting shortly after a child's birth. It integrated two evidence-based interventions: the universal prevention strategy PlayReadVIP, which involves videotaping parent-child interactions and coaching parents, and the targeted home-visiting program,Family Check-up (FCU), for families facing additional psychosocial stressors. Conducted in pediatric primary care settings in New York City and Pittsburgh, the project tested the combined model through a randomized control trial, using surveys and observational data to assess its effectiveness. The study sought to determine if this integrated approach can significantly improve early school readiness outcomes, including social-emotional skills and self-regulation.
As a part of a partnership with the NYCPS Arts Office, our team is conducting an implementation study of the Early Childhood Strings Pathways pilot program. This program is a collective impact model embedding free violin instruction in Pre-K to Grade 2 classrooms in all five boroughs that combines individualized instruction with group lessons. By embedding violin instruction in preschool classrooms, the program aims to improve children’s musical fluency and support children’s growth in language, numeracy, and other skills.
Our project will utilize a unique mix of qualitative interviews, ethnodrama for developing verbatim documentary theater, theatrical dissemination for community discussion, and ongoing community review to aim to. The ethnodrama approach is unique in a) amplifying the nuance and authenticity of youth voices, b) building guardrails for psychological safety for youth suicide loss participants, while c) creating conditions for empathy with youths’ experience by ethnoactors and audience members. This project convenes a trailblazing research-practice-partnership between NYU ARCADIA’s Dr. Pamela Morris-Perez, NYU Verbatim Performance Lab’s Joe Salvatore, and Youth Creating Change’s Jana Sczersputowski and Stan Collins to develop the first-ever school-based, community-generated, postvention healing program.
