Symposia
Culture / Ethnicity / Race
Sylvanna Maria Vargas, M.P.H., Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
UCLA
Los Angeles, California
Stephanie H. Yu, M.A.
Doctoral Candidate
University of California, Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, California
Ashley K. Flores, B.A.
Project Coordinator
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Z. Ayotola Onipede, M.A.
Doctoral Student
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Prerna Martin, M.P.H.
PhD Student
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
Conor O'Neill, PhD
Psychologist
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Joan Asarnow, Ph.D.
Professor
UCLA
Los Angeles, California
Anna Lau, PhD
Professor
UCLA
Los Angeles, California
SAFETY-A (Safe Alternatives for Teens and Youth -Acute) is a brief, strengths-based and family-focused intervention to manage acute suicidal risk among adolescents. SAFETY-A has been shown to enhance linkage to specialty mental health care, particularly for youth of color, after discharge from the Emergency Department following a suicidal crisis. The current study developed culturally adapted modules for use of SAFETY-A in under-resourced schools serving predominantly immigrant families of color based in the Greater Los Angeles area. Cultural adaptations were developed through an iterative process of soliciting feedback from community stakeholders and generating intervention adaptations. School-based providers (N=17), caregivers (N=8), and youths (N=6) were individually interviewed, and then proposed adaptations were presented for feedback to a stakeholder focus group (N=20). Rapid qualitative analytic methods were employed to identify opportunities for adaptation based on stakeholder input. Stakeholders described challenges with conducting risk assessments due to cultural gaps within families, including language and acculturation differences. Therefore, optional culturally adapted modules were developed to provide SAFETY-A consistent recommendations for promoting support among families with a suicidal youth. These recommendations included psychoeducation and validation associated with cultural gaps, and suggesting ways to re-engage with family-based tasks within SAFETY-A to promote safety.
