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.