Suicide Prevention

In honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we continue our coverage of this complex topic in our Voices of Compassion podcast series with a brand new episode. For youth ages 10-24, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the US. It is complicated, tragic and often preventable: knowing the warning signs can help save lives. Join us for a conversation with Jennifer Leydecker, LMFT, Clinical Program Manager at CHC’s Catherine T. Harvey Center for Clinical Services, who works with high-risk teens every day in our RISE Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). Jennifer shares expert advice on how to talk about emotions with your child or teen, where to find resources and support, and warning signs and protective factors for suicide.

It’s hard to imagine, but essential to talk about. While we shudder to think of our teens injuring themselves intentionally, cutting and other forms of self-harm are on the rise, affecting 1 in 12 youth and increasing 99% during the pandemic. In today’s episode, we welcome back Jennifer Leydecker, LMFT to the podcast, to discuss what self-harm looks like in adolescents and how to validate their hurt while encouraging healthier coping strategies. As Clinical Program Manager and Clinician at the RISE Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Jennifer is an expert at helping teens regulate big emotions in a nonjudgmental way.

Currently, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the only well-established, evidence-based treatment for self-harming adolescents at high risk for suicide. In today’s podcast episode, hear one mom’s brave story of helping her teenage daughter through panic attacks, PTSD and self-harming behaviors using DBT skills like mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness and communication, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. We are so grateful that she is willing to share her life-changing journey with us.