# Experimental evaluation of a multi-site suicide intervention for youth during and after residential placement

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $644,133

## Abstract

Abstract/Summary
In response to the public health threat that suicide poses to American youth in general and incarcerated youth
in particular, we propose a multi-year, multi-site, setting-level intervention in the New York City Juvenile Justice
system. In partnership with the NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS), we will experimentally
evaluate an evidence-based staff-level training (S4L) to address youth suicidality during two critical points of
contact for juvenile-justice involved youth: placement and post-release Aftercare. S4L combines training in
Shield of Care (SOC), an evidence-based model for acute suicide detection training for juvenile justice staff,
with evidence-based suicide prevention skill-building training informed by dialectical-behavior therapy for
adolescents at risk for suicide ideation, behavior, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). We will compare the
effectiveness of S4L to a training as usual control condition (control), and to a condition in which we provide
monthly on-site coaching to staff to support the acquisition and implementation of S4L skills (S4L+). The
intervention will be implemented as part of ACS's usual staff-training procedures. The need for intervention is
urgent at this time due to recent state-level policy shifts that will increase the number youth in these sites and
heighten their suicide risk. S4L and S4L+ will be evaluated using a 3-arm cluster-randomized design with the
full population of non-secure placement (NSP)/Aftercare sites (N=30 sites; N=1800 youth, 30% girls). These
sites are sole infrastructure for long-term confinement in NYC. NSP/Aftercare sites will be randomized to
control (N=10 sites; 600 youth), S4L (N=10 sites; 600 youth), and S4L+ (N=10 sites; 600 youth) conditions. We
test the effectiveness of S4L compared to S4L+ and control on improving suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation,
and NSSI; mental health outcomes (internalizing, externalizing and substance use); and correlates of
suicide/mental health (impulsivity, mood, and coping). In addition, we test the extent to which site-level
implementation characteristics (e.g., proportion of staff trained; average amount of detection and prevention
activities); site and staff-level structural characteristics (e.g., prior training, burnout); and individual youth
characteristics (e.g., demographics; trauma history) moderate S4L and S4L+ effectiveness. Youth outcome
data on suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation, NSSI, and mental health problems and their correlates will be
tracked longitudinally for 1 year. In response to the FOA, outcomes will be assessed via evidence-based
measures that capture dimensional facets of disorder in line with NIH's common data elements and
recommendations by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Site-level intervention moderators will
be measured by staff survey and administrative data. This project aims to expand the scientific knowledge
base on suicide prevention and intervention in hig...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9935970
- **Project number:** 5R01MH114937-03
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Erin Godfrey
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $644,133
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-23 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9935970

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9935970, Experimental evaluation of a multi-site suicide intervention for youth during and after residential placement (5R01MH114937-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9935970. Licensed CC0.

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