by Chris Downs | Sep 28, 2017 | LGBTQ, Research You Can Use, Suicide Prevention, Youth Development, Youth Suicide
Share on TumblrThe suicide rates among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth in America are startling and troubling. Around 25%-40% of LGB youth seriously consider suicide each year, with many of them making attempts or actually killing themselves. Many of them...
by Chris Downs | Sep 27, 2017 | Education, Suicide Prevention, Youth Suicide
Share on TumblrThis is a full-day, in-person training on suicide prevention with teens, including special attention on transition age youth living in substitute care, such as foster care. The course, taught by a nationally prominent expert on youth suicide...
by Chris Downs | Sep 25, 2017 | Agency Research, Research You Can Use, Suicide Prevention, Youth Suicide
Share on TumblrThere is a large and growing amount of evidence on how the experience of foster care has a direct impact on the health and welfare of transition age youth. The most prominent findings indicate that simply being in foster care is associated with...
by Chris Downs | Sep 25, 2017 | Child Welfare, Suicide Prevention, Youth Suicide
Share on TumblrFoster youth seem especially susceptible to thoughts and actions that are self-harming. Detached from homes of origin, often filled with sadness and despair, some of these youth will attempt suicide. And some will be successful in those attempts....
by Chris Downs | Sep 15, 2017 | Child Welfare, Suicide Prevention, Youth Suicide
Share on TumblrDr. Chris Downs The Downs Group LLC As a developmental psychologist, I have worked in child welfare for over 20 years. Most of that time I focused on older, foster youth outcomes. I have not been involved in direct services. But I have worked with...
by Chris Downs | Sep 11, 2017 | Suicide Prevention, Youth Suicide
Share on TumblrHere are 9 things you should do if you learn that a youth is considering suicide: 1. Take any/all threats of suicide seriously!. 2. State that you care and remain with the youth 3. Ask them if they are thinking of harming or killing themselves 4....