Youths Identified At-risk for Suicide by Trained Gatekeepers: Findings from the Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program

In 2004, Congress passed the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (GLSMA) and subsequently appropriated funding for the Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program. Fifty-four states and tribal entities currently funded under the GLSMA are working to develop infrastructure for suicide prevention and to improve the early identification and service access of at-risk youth. Data will be presented from the cross-site evaluation of these programs, and will focus on the proximal outcomes of training gatekeepers to recognize the warning signs of suicide and intervene appropriately.

The paper will include analyses of aggregate data from the Early Identification, Referral and Follow up analysis which gathers data on youth identified at-risk for suicide by trained gatekeepers, as well as the receipt of referrals and linkage to services. Gatekeeper trainees include clinicians, primary care providers, school personnel, child welfare staff, law enforcement officers, as well as general community members, working in a wide variety of settings. This paper will discuss (1) the characteristics of youth identified as being at-risk for suicide (2) the source (type of gatekeeper) and setting of early identification (3) issues and findings related to the relationships between the characteristics of the youths, the settings in which they are identified, the types of referrals they receive, and the services they access.