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North Carolina Black Youth Suicide Prevention Leadership Team

Program Overview

This project team consists of experts at the local, regional and state levels in North Carolina. In 2024, their meaningful work led the development of the first-ever North Carolina Black Youth Suicide Prevention Action Plan. That plan aims to reduce stigma by promoting and implementing culturally relevant crisis care and suicide prevention for Black youth. The plan is tentatively effective for five years (2025-2029) and this leadership team of nine experts helps with the implementation of the plan. The plan includes following focus areas:

  • Increase coordination of infrastructure across the state
  • Increase peer support services
  • Increase community awareness and education
  • Reduce access to lethal means
  • Increase protective factors

 

Program Impact

Around 16.9% of high school students and 36.6% of Black middle school students report experiencing serious thoughts of suicide (North Carolina Department of Instruction, 2024). Statewide data from 2013 to 2022 show that suicide death rates peak at age 24 for both Black males and females. The North Carolina Black Youth Suicide Prevention Leadership Team works to strengthen the statewide response to those challenges. They focus on how to build capacity, mobilize resources, grow outreach efforts, engage individuals who have lived experiences in prevention efforts, and expand the non-clinical crisis workforce. Their North Carolina Black Youth Suicide Prevention Action Plan outlines specific initiatives over the next five years that aim to reduce injury and death by suicide among Black youth. The project team has:

  • Collaborated with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to collect data on suicide among Black youth in North Carolina, which informed the development of targeted strategies for the state action plan.
  • Supported the development of 988 educational materials for HBCUs—a public order link is currently open.
  • Hosted listening circles to gather public feedback on challenges related to suicide among Black youth in North Carolina and to inform action plan strategies.
  • Developed a targeted marketing campaign in Black barbershops, which includes framed educational posters (aligned with state-level ZIP code data)
  • Hosted “From Grief to Grace: A Free Self-Compassion Healing Experience for Families who have Lost a Loved One to Suicide or Homicide” with Dr. Sydney Spears and Dr. Karen Bluth.

 

The Black Wellness Collective Lab

At our core, we believe in a person’s right to thrive. Our mission is to reduce suicide rates and enhance mental wellness through innovative, community-driven research and practices that focus on mental health and suicide prevention. We envision a world where every community finds life truly worth living.

We focus on five main pillars:

  1. Community Engagement and Partnership
    • Foster collaborative relationships with community members and organizations.
  2. Research on Populations Most Impacted
    • Conduct research that prioritizes the voices and experiences of populations most impacted by suicide and mental health rates.
  3. Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
    • Provide resources, training, and support to organizations that address wellness, empowering them to implement effective strategies.
  4. Education and Advocacy
    • Develop educational programs and materials that raise awareness and advocate for policies that promote wellness.
  5. Suicide Prevention Consultation
    • Offer expertise in interventions to fit the needs of populations most impacted.

 

News and Articles

  • WRAL News
    A study highlights the urgent mental health crisis facing Black middle school students.