Suicide and suicide attempts are epidemic among adolescents aged 14-19 years in the United States. Teen suicide presents as a major crisis for families, and often their responses are colored by their ethno-cultural context. Improving outcomes for adolescent suicidal behaviors often requires interventions that focus on improving family communications. This Workshop presents reviewed literature on ethno-cultural influences, on the prevalence and presentation pattern of teen suicide, and on help-seeking behaviors in relation to mental health. Participant-centered role play highlights the use of a family-focused crisis intervention with acutely suicidal teenagers and their families. The presentation explores how cultural differences between therapist and patient color the therapeutic encounter. Discussions focus on how the therapist can utilize the patient and family’s cultural context to facilitate engagement in continued treatment. Addressing this national epidemic from an ethno-culturally informed perspective improves outcomes for this vulnerable population.