Youth Suicide Prevention Projects

The CDPH’s Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) is administering the following two new youth suicide prevention projects as part of the CalHHS-sponsored Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI):

The Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Campaign
The Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program

Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Campaign

The Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Campaign was established through one-time funding in the Governor’s 2022–2023 Budget to develop and implement a data-driven, targeted, community-based youth suicide prevention media and outreach campaign for youth at increased risk of suicide.

Project Components

Priority Populations

The Media and Outreach Campaign will serve youth who are American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), Hispanic/Latinx, and African American/Black. These groups were selected due to having the highest suicide rate, suicide count and increase in suicide rate respectively between 2016 and 2021.  A portion of the funding was set aside for rural communities to ensure priority populations in both rural and urban areas are served. The Campaign and Outreach efforts will also apply an intersectional lens, recognizing the complexity of challenges people face due to overlapping identities and experiences. This includes youth who:

Identify as a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) community.
Experience mental health conditions and/or substance use.
Have been impacted by the foster care system.

Media Campaign

All aspects of the Media Campaign will be co-created with youth, resulting in a multicultural and multilingual campaign that increases awareness of mental health resources and promotes help-seeking behaviors.

Messaging will focus on youth themselves and/or trusted allies (e.g., parents, teachers, friends).

Civilian has been selected as the media contractor for this campaign.

Youth-Serving Organization Outreach Projects

To complement the Media Campaign, youth-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) and tribal entities across the State have been awarded grants up to $500,000 per recipient over a 2-year period to:

Engage youth in a co-creation process for all aspects of the Media Campaign.

Promote the Campaign as trusted messengers within populations disproportionately impacted by youth suicide.
Implement community-level evidence-based suicide prevention strategies (as described in, but not limited to, the CDC’s Preventing Suicide Technical Package), which will amplify and build upon campaign messages.

The Center at the Sierra Health Foundation has been selected as the implementation partner to oversee the CBO/Tribal Outreach Projects. Visit The Center’s Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign webpage for a list of funded organizations and project descriptions.

External Evaluation

UCLA's Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL) has been selected to serve as an independent evaluator of the Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Campaign.

UCLA will conduct internal evaluation throughout the project period, including a final report to identify best practices and replicable efforts.

Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program

The Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program was established through one-time funding in the Governor’s 2022–2023 Budget to develop and test models for making youth suicide and attempted suicide reportable events. The pilot will also support models for rapidly and comprehensively responding to these events by providing crisis services and follow-up support in school and community settings.

Project Components

Pilot Program Counties

The following ten counties were identified as high priority and invited to participate in the pilot program:

Alameda, El Dorado, Humboldt, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Joaquin and Solano.

County prioritization criteria included the number of self-harm incidents that led to an emergency department (ER) visit or hospitalization, count and rate of suicide per county for ages 10 to 24 years old from 2018–2020, rural versus urban consideration to help ensure geographic parity, and measures of diversity to support health equity.

Pilot counties will begin implementing the program in July 2023.

Training and Technical Assistance

Counties will receive in-depth training and technical assistance from the Center for Applied Research Solutions.

External Evaluation

UCLA’s Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL) has been selected to serve as an independent evaluator of the Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program.

UCLA will conduct internal evaluation throughout the project period, producing a final report specific to suicide reporting and crisis response efforts.

Need Support Now?

988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors that provide free and
confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

988 Línea de prevencion del suicidio y crisis

Si tú o alguien que conoces necesita apoyo, llama al 988 (servicio en español) o envía un texto al 988 o chat vía 988lifeline.org (en inglés).

Veterans Crisis Line Dial 988 then Press 1

Youth-Suicide-Prevention-Projects

INJURY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION (IVP) BRANCH

Youth Suicide Prevention Projects

Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Campaign

Project Components

Priority Populations

Media Campaign

Youth-Serving Organization Outreach Projects

External Evaluation

Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program

Project Components

Pilot Program Counties

Training and Technical Assistance

External Evaluation

COVID-19

Diseases and Conditions

Licensing, Certification and Other Credentials

Family Health

Personal Health and Prevention

Health and Safety

Health Facilities

Administrative

Person Interested In

INJURY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION (IVP) BRANCH

Youth Suicide Prevention Projects​

Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Ca​​mpaign​

Project Components​​

Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Pro​​gram

Project Components​

Youth Suicide Prevention Projects

Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Campaign

Project Components

Youth Suicide Reporting and Crisis Response Pilot Program

Project Components