Adolescent Suicide Prevention 101: Bringing the Science to Families, Teachers, and Pediatricians
A webinar by Dr. Pamela Morris-Perez
Presented by the Alan Hu Foundation
Pleasanton, Calif. — January 18, 2023 — On February 15, 2023, Dr. Pamela Morris-Perez of New York University will offer a free webinar, “Adolescent Suicide Prevention 101: Bringing the Science to Families, Teachers and Pediatricians” presented by the Alan Hu Foundation. Dr. Morris-Perez explains: “Suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts are far more common than many realize and are likely to be exacerbated in the wake of COVID-19. The prevailing suicide prevention paradigm entails identification and treatment within the formal mental health system, largely disconnected from the places and people where adolescents spend most of their time.” In this presentation, Morris-Perez offers an introductory understanding of adolescent suicide and suicide prevention. She will demystify adolescent suicide, discuss why it is ok (and important) to ask directly about suicide, and share what works in schools, homes, and pediatricians’ offices as entrees into mental health services (i.e., a “no wrong door” approach). The goal of this talk is to empower parents, teachers, and pediatricians to have the knowledge to ask and respond to adolescents’ suicidal thinking, and to help more adolescents get the care they need more quickly in hope that doing so will save more lives.
Dr. Pamela Morris-Perez is a Professor of Applied Psychology at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and an Affiliated Professor at the NYU School of Global Public Health. An interdisciplinary scholar, Dr. Morris-Perez conducts research at the intersection of developmental psychology, suicidology, education, and policy. Her newest research, borne from the loss of her 17-year-old daughter to suicide in 2019, addresses adolescent suicide from a developmentally informed, population-health perspective as part of the newly launched center, ARCADIA (A Research Center for Adolescent Interconnected Approaches) for Suicide Prevention. With over $6M in funding from the William T. Grant Foundation and NIMH, she brings prevention to the spaces where youth are – schools and emergency departments – to help more youth connect to care more quickly.
The free webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Pacific Time via Zoom. It will include 15 minutes for questions and answers following Dr. Morris-Perez’s presentation. Please RSVP by February 14, 2023, at: https://alanhufoundation.org/ to receive the Zoom meeting link. Participants may join beginning at 4:45 pm PT. The Mental Health Association for Chinese Communities at https://www.mhacc-usa.org will provide simultaneous Chinese interpretation.
The Alan Hu Foundation was created by Xiaofang Chen and Chih-Ching Hu in memory of their son, Alan. He passed away due to mental disorders in 2018 at the age of 15. Their mission is to promote mental health, raise awareness and remove stigma surrounding psychiatric disorders, and to support fundamental research for cures.
For further information and to support the Alan Hu Foundation, please visit the website: https://alanhufoundation.org/helping