Suicide Prevention: Social Media and Mental Health for Children & Adolescents
The Services for Teens at Risk (STAR)-Center is a nationally recognized suicide prevention program that combines clinical and outreach services designed to combat the problem of child and adolescent suicide. The STAR-Center provides outpatient assessment and treatment for depressed and anxious children and teens, and offers acute treatment to depressed and suicidal youth through the Center’s intensive outpatient program.
The STAR-Center annual conference presents best practices in clinical care incorporated into practical guidelines. This year, 400 clinicians and educators attended lectures and workshops addressing the theme “Connections that Heal: Communicating with Teens and Families about Social Media and Mental Health.”
Keynote Speaker
Jessica Hamilton, PhD (Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University), presented a keynote address entitled “The Clock is TikToking: The Urgent Need to Understand Social Media and Teen Suicide Risk.” Dr. Hamilton described the current state of the science of teen social media use and suicide risk, with emphasis on its potential risks and benefits.
Mary Margaret Kerr, EdD (Professor of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh), provided a talk entitled “How Individuals in Crisis Process Information: Implications for Educators.”
Skill Development Workshops
Candice Biernesser, PhD, LCSW (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), and César Escobar-Viera, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), offered practical guidance for supporting LGBTQ+ youth in online spaces.
Duncan Clark, MD, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry), discussed the assessment and treatment options for substance use disorders in adolescents and young adults in the context of co-morbid serious mental illness and suicide risk.
Additional workshops were led by Audrey Bowser (doctoral candidate, University of Pittsburgh); Dominique Dove, MS, LPC (Research Principal, STAR-Center); Mackenzie Osborn, MSCP (Behavioral Health Therapist I, STAR-Center); Melissa M. Nelson, EdD (K12 School Safety and Security Subject Matter Expert, Southwestern PA Threat Assessment Hub, RSM: Risk and Strategic Management Corporation); Claudia Melendez Ardiles, LPC, NBCC (Behavioral Therapist, Children’s Community Pediatrics- Wexford); Teri Pentz, LPC, IMH-E® (Supervisor, Behavioral Health Training, Child and Adolescent Trauma Services, UPMC Western Behavioral Health); Rachel Ludwig, LCSW (Behavioral Health Therapist III, Child and Adolescent Trauma Services, UPMC Western Behavioral Health); Mary Margaret Kerr, EdD; Kelsey Bero, LPC, NCC (Behavioral Health Therapist III, STAR-Center); Karla Joyce, LCSW (Research Operations Coordinator, STAR-Center Research); Eric R. Patterson, MAPP (Special Agent, Threat Management Coordinator, FBI, Adjunct Professor, Penn State University); Maria Silva (Chief Operating Officer, Allegheny Health Network).