Audience: This educational program is meant for all child and adolescent psychiatrists or other professionals who are involved with teaching, consultation to schools and the larger community, or who work with the media.

Program Description: This year’s presentation builds on the success of the programs presented at previous Annual Meetings. The proposed format begins with an introduction to real-life situations related to clusters of adolescent suicide. This introduction is followed by a plenary address by an internationally known leader in the field of adolescent suicidology and suicide prevention, Madelyn Gould, Ph.D., M.P.H. from Columbia University, USA. Professor Gould is among the most prolific contributors to the field, and has actively advised suicide prevention efforts in many communities affected by adolescent suicide, such as recent clusters in New Jersey and California. Another expert in the field also presents their perspective.

The plenary presentations set the stage for a panel discussion with three child and adolescent psychiatrists who have worked with communities affected by teen suicide clusters who will share their perspectives. Of critical importance to this discussion is the opportunity for participants to more deeply discuss the challenges of responding to completed suicides in school settings. There are two breakout groups of about 40 minutes each to allow members to discuss and gain skills in the areas of suicide postvention strategies, prevention education, and advanced small group teaching strategies.

The first breakout group focuses on how to optimally engage teens by showing segments of a select DVD relating to teen depression. The second breakout also utilizes an educational DVD meant for teachers and other school staff, and provides an overview of the causes and treatment of suicidal behavior in teens and emphasizes the roles of teachers in identifying at-risk students.

By the end of the program, participants have toolkit of resources and potential teaching exercises and methods for teaching about depression and suicide to teens, teachers, and other adult audiences.