When Pain Turns Inward or Outward: Teen Mental Health, Violence, and Suicide Prevention

Session Description

Adolescents who have experienced trauma may express distress through withdrawal, aggression, risk-taking, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or violence toward others. This session focuses specifically on teen and adolescent mental health, suicide risk, and violence prevention. Participants will review Louisiana and national suicide trends, including data showing suicide remains a leading cause of death among youth and that Louisiana's suicide rate has exceeded the national average in recent state reporting. The session will emphasize warning signs, protective factors, safe conversations, lethal means safety, crisis response, referral pathways, and intervention strategies that help families, schools, courts, and communities respond before harm occurs.

Learning Objectives

• Describe factors linked to teen suicide risk and violence.

• Recognize warning signs of self-harm, suicide, or violence.

• Identify crisis response and referral strategies.

• Connect suicide and violence prevention to child safety.

About the Speaker

Lorrie Briggs is the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Specialist for Jacob Crouch Suicide Prevention Services at The Family Tree.  Prior to assuming this role, Ms. Briggs spent thirty-six years as a civil servant with the State of Louisiana.  Twenty-six of these years were spent providing direct services, administration, policy and programmatic design with Child Welfare at the Department of Children and Family Services.  Ms. Briggs has a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.  She has done extensive work in the connection between economic and concrete supports and the outcomes of families involved in the Child Welfare system. 

2026 - 2027 Louisiana CASA Webinar Series: Healthy Minds, Safe Children: Preventing Child Abuse Through Mental Health Awareness and Support

This eight-part webinar series explores how mental health awareness, early intervention, trauma-informed support, and strong community partnerships can help prevent child abuse and neglect. Participants will examine how caregiver wellness, childhood trauma, adolescent mental health, and family stress influence child safety while learning practical ways to recognize concerns early, strengthen protective factors, and connect families to support before crises occur.