Youth voices shape researcher's approach to suicide prevention in juvenile detention

For young people in juvenile detention, suicide prevention extends beyond identifying who is at risk. It requires understanding their experiences, listening to what they need, and building systems that support them long after they leave a facility.

Researchers at Michigan State University are putting that philosophy into practice.

Led by Brittany Rudd, an assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, the National Institutes of Health-funded Zero Suicide Study is adapting the nationally recognized Zero Suicide framework for juvenile detention settings, and it is doing so guided by the voices of young adults who have lived through the juvenile legal system themselves.

The project brings together researchers, detention professionals, behavioral health providers and young adults with lived experience to create practical, sustainable strategies that strengthen suicide prevention and mental health support for detained youth. As the work moves into its next phase, the research team is preparing to partner with juvenile detention facilities in Michigan to pilot the youth-informed model in real-world settings.

A framework for youth by youth

The Zero Suicide model is widely used across healthcare systems to improve suicide prevention through evidence-based clinical practices. The framework is built around seven core elements, including identifying suicide risk, engaging individuals in care, providing effective treatment, supporting transitions and creating organizational cultures that prioritize suicide prevention through leadership, staff training and continuous evaluation and improvement.

Rather than simply applying that framework to juvenile detention, Rudd's team asked a different question: What would Zero Suicide look like if it were designed alongside the young people it is intended to serve?

"Our team wanted to move beyond making assumptions about what young people need," Rudd said. "The people who have experienced juvenile detention firsthand are experts. Their perspectives and insights have shaped every stage of this work and challenged us to think differently about what effective suicide prevention can look like."

To answer that question, the researchers convened a Youth Ambassador Board composed of young adults with lived experience in the juvenile legal system. Board members reviewed findings from the research team's earlier work and identified ways to make the Zero Suicide framework more relevant, culturally responsive and practical for youth in detention.

Recommendations rooted in experience

Many of the recommendations expanded traditional ideas about suicide prevention.

Youth ambassadors emphasized the importance of assessing suicide risk at multiple points during detention, understanding young people's true sources of social support without making assumptions and reassessing risk during emotionally difficult transitions. They also highlighted the need to create more opportunities for youth to ask for help, connect them with community resources, and address safety concerns that may arise from gang affiliations or other experiences before detention.

The recommendations extended beyond clinical care.

Young people called for stronger family engagement, expanded one-on-one support from trusted adults, peer support groups, mentoring opportunities and practical assistance as youth prepare to leave detention. Suggestions included helping young people obtain identification documents, enroll in educational programs, connect with employment opportunities and develop coping skills to manage stress after release.

"The Youth Ambassador Board consistently reminded us that suicide prevention doesn't happen during a single clinical encounter," Rudd said. "It happens through relationships, trust and creating environments where young people feel heard, supported, and connected to opportunities for the future. My favorite youth idea was to provide every young person a 'welcome home' package when they leave detention. The idea is simple — give young people clean clothes, hygiene products, a bus pass and information about how to get back on their feet. Show them that the community cares about them. I hope to find a way to make this happen."

Youth also recommended organizational changes, including improving staff training, increasing family communication, strengthening accountability, implementing exit surveys and creating opportunities for detained youth to provide ongoing feedback.

From research to practice

The next phase of the project will translate those recommendations into practice.

The Zero Suicide Study team is building a manual to support juvenile detention centers in implementing the Zero Suicide model. This manual will be available for dissemination soon. The team is also planning to launch a collaborative pilot with one juvenile detention facility in Michigan. The goal of the pilot is to determine how the manual and youth-informed strategies can be implemented within existing systems.

Rather than asking facilities to adopt an entirely new program, the research team will work alongside staff to strengthen current suicide prevention efforts through implementation planning, consultation, training and ongoing feedback. The participating organization will contribute approximately one to two hours each month through meetings, brief staff surveys and implementation planning activities.

"We designed this project as a partnership," Rudd said. "Detention professionals understand their systems better than anyone, and they know the realities of serving youth every day. By combining their expertise with lived experience and research evidence, we have an opportunity to build approaches that are both effective and sustainable."

For participating organizations, the collaboration offers access to implementation support and consultation while helping shape an approach that could strengthen suicide prevention efforts in juvenile detention settings more broadly.

Although the project focuses on preventing suicide, its broader goal is to improve the mental health and well-being of young people during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives.

"Our hope is that this work helps create detention environments where every young person feels seen, supported and connected to care," Rudd said. "If we listen to youth, learn from practitioners, and continue building these partnerships together, we can create systems that better protect young people's mental health while they're in detention and as they transition back into their communities."

This story originally appeared on the College of Human Medicine website.