Strategies

Prohibit criminal history questions on job applications and postpone background checks

Match disadvantaged or at-risk youth with volunteer mentors in school or community settings

Offer programs to help individuals without a high school diploma or its equivalent achieve a high school equivalency credential

Delay school start times for middle and high schools to better align with adolescent sleep-wake cycles; often until after 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.

Help students process trauma exposure and develop coping skills through individual or small group counseling with mental health professionals or school staff with trauma-specific training

Provide industry-focused education and job training based on the needs of regional employers within specific sectors

Provide short-term employment opportunities for youth, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds

Adopt a multi-tiered approach within schools to address the needs of trauma-exposed youth, including school-wide changes, screenings, and individual intensive support

Deliver a curriculum-based program that helps all students learn to recognize warning signs of suicide in themselves and others in a school setting