Youth Empowerment and Safety Intervention for Systems-involved Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at Risk of Suicide
Case Western Reserve University
Summary
This clinical trial will implement and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact of Peer Support Specialist (PSS) services for public system-involved sexual and gender minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and/or transgender) youth (SGMY) at risk of suicide.
Description
A sharp increase in U.S. youth mental health problems coupled with the national shortage in child behavioral health clinicians has identified peer providers as a cost- and impact-effective solution. Peer Support Specialists (PSS), paraprofessionals with lived experience who provide mutual and structured support, have been found to be effective in improving client engagement in mental health services. The study proposes to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact of a multi-level intervention, Youth Empowerment \& Safety (YES), comprised of two coordinated components: 1) syst…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 12–17 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Child Inclusion Criteria: * 12-17 years of age * Self-identify as a sexual or gender minority (SGM) * Involved in one or more system: juvenile justice, child welfare, and/or community-based mental health * Personal experience with self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) * English speaking * Willing and able to provide informed assent Child Exclusion Criteria: * Less than 12 or greater than 17 years of age (0-11 or 18 and over) * Do not self-identify as a sexual or gender minority (SGM) * Not involved in the juvenile justice, child welfare, and/or community-based mental health systems *…
Interventions
- BehavioralTreatment as Usual
Behavioral health services (treatment as usual)
- BehavioralPeer Support Services (PSS)
Behavioral health services (treatment as usual) along with referral to and utilization of Peer Support Specialist services
Location
- Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, Ohio