Opportunity Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Drexel University
Youth Suicide Prevention: Treatment & Health Services Research

Project Overview
Continuity of care for youth at risk for suicide remains a challenge to health systems. To address this problem Pennsylvania’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services was awarded a SAMHSA Garret Lee Smith (GLS) youth suicide prevention grant to improve these transitions between youth-serving systems. Looking at organizational factors, the GLS program uses the Zero Suicide framework to examine suicide risk management procedure within organization (e.g., schools, crisis, EDs, hospitals and outpatient care). Looking between organizations, we are using a network analysis to understand how relationships between organizations impact care. A community transformation intervention will then be deployed to help counties incorporate this new information into their strategic planning for youth suicide prevention. Assistance with training, screening and intervention will also be provided.

Essential Functions
The Research Fellow will be expected to assist with data collection, qualitative interviews, county wide strategic planning meetings, clinical training in suicide risk management and family engagement, data analysis, paper and grant writing. The fellow will be an active member of the research team and will be encouraged to initiate independent research related to the project, or other activities going on at the center (e.g., school based suicide screening, dissemination of family therapy into community mental health centers, etc.).

Qualifications
A competitive applicant will have a PhD, advanced data management and analytic skills, clinical training, and interest in youth suicide prevention, health services research and/or family intervention. Start date is summer of 2020. Training in family therapy and collecting licensing hours is available. Salary is in line with NIMH guild lines. Please send CV and letter of interest to Guy Diamond, PhD. References will be requested.