IPH CAREs Unit Evaluates Peer Support Program for Youth Suicide Attempt Survivors

The Institute for Population Health’s Core for Applied Research and Evaluations Unit (CAREs Unit) is partnering with The Clarkson Institute and The Kim Foundation to evaluate “Healing Starts Here,” a post-crisis, trauma-informed peer-based support program developed by The Kim Foundation in collaboration with Children’s Nebraska. The program supports adolescents and their caregivers following a suicide attempt, with an emphasis on strengthening coping skills, peer connections and a sense of belonging. 

“Healing Starts Here” is a structured, eight-week program for adolescents ages 12-18 who have experienced a suicide attempt and been discharged from Children’s Nebraska.

The program offers skills-based peer support to adolescents while providing a separate, concurrent support group for their caregivers. Hosted at Children’s Nebraska, the program combines facilitated discussions, creative activities and opportunities for participants to share their experiences in a structured group setting.

Through a mixed-methods approach, the CAREs Unit is examining both program implementation and outcomes among participating adolescents and their caregivers.

The evaluation incorporates baseline and follow-up surveys and focus groups with participants to understand their experiences and assess changes in coping, connectedness and belonging, and help-seeking behaviors. Interviews with program staff and therapists will explore barriers and facilitators to implementation to inform ongoing program improvement. 

The pilot cohort of adolescents recently concluded, and the CAREs Unit is currently analyzing the data to inform program improvements ahead of the next cohort of concurrent youth and caregiver programming scheduled to begin in early 2027.