Addressing Youth Suicide
Brandon J. Johnson, M.H.S., MCHES is a tireless advocate for positive mental health and suicide prevention services for youth and adults across the country. Currently, he serves as a Public Health Advisor at the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the Suicide Prevention Branch at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, Brandon serves as a Government Project Officer (GPO) for various suicide prevention grant programs that respectively target youth, adults, and health care systems. Brandon is the Program Lead of the Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Suicide Prevention Program which provides grants for states, tribes, and territories to reduce suicides among 10-24 year olds. Brandon is also the GPO for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) which provides suicide-specific materials, webinars, and training to organizations and communities all over the country working to prevent suicides.
The rates of youth suicide have continues to increase in the United States, with suicides increasing in youth ages 10-14 in 2020. The pandemic presented new challenges for the mental well-being of young people across the country, particularly youth of color. In this session, we’ll talk about suicide prevention strategies specifically for these young people.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe incidence of youth suicide and youth suicide in special populations
- Identify resources and strategies to decrease youth suicide