Talking about suicide is uncomfortable and scary. Youth often turn to friends for help, but peers often don’t know what to say or do. There is no single event or cause for suicide, so there is more than one way to provide support. Suicide often occurs when an individual experiences stressors or health issues in a way that creates an overwhelming sense of hopelessness that makes them feel disconnected from others and desperate. Our goal is to enhance the partnerships between CCYSB and community agencies to strengthen suicide prevention efforts by creating a greater sense of connectedness and support for individuals through outreach, advocacy, prevention, intervention and postvention.
OASIS - Open Access Suicide Intervention Services
OASIS is a collaborative model between CCYSB and Community Health Partners – Carroll Hospital Behavioral Health, Pediatric & Family Medicine Practices, Carroll County Health Department, Carroll County Local Care Team – to expand suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) consultations and risk assessment services for youth.
OASIS provides youth and families an alternative to the traditional mode of risk assessment through a hospital’s emergency department (ED). Interventions through the ED are necessary for emergency, life-threatening self-injurious thoughts and behaviors – suicidal ideation with plan and intent, suicide attempts, and medical treatment for self-injury to name a few. OASIS, part of an outpatient behavioral health setting, reduces anxiety, cost, wait time, and lengthy medical triaging protocols. Community Health Providers meeting with youth and families during routine medical/well visits, or social services that have concerns about a child’s risk for suicide or self-injury can contact OASIS for a consultation in order to facilitate a referral. Families referred are screened by a licensed therapist who makes recommendations that range from creating a safety plan, psychoeducation about suicide and self-injury, check-in’s with a Peer Support Specialist, to same-day emergency assessments.
Community Health Providers wanting to partner with this initiative should contact Bobby Jarrett, LCPC for orientation to procedures, which includes access to the dedicated on-call phone number.
This service is designed to address urgent matters involving self-injurious thoughts and behaviors through prioritized one-time consultations and assessments. Ongoing therapeutic services at CCYSB are not guaranteed.
OASIS Hours For Community Health Providers
Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 4 pm
Friday: 8:30 am – 2 pm
Below are links to the most recent Youth Suicide Prevention newsletters:
Youth Suicide Intervention & Prevention Services: Parent Resource Guide
Maternal Mental Health Therapy Group - PEARL
Perinatal Education for ACE Reduction & Loss Prevention
The Carroll County Youth Service Bureau’s Youth Suicide Intervention & Prevention Services is piloting a new group therapy initiative focused on maternal mental health during the perinatal period (from conception to the child’s first birthday). Maternal mental health conditions are the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 women, especially those in vulnerable and underserved populations; untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have lifelong negative impacts on child development, individual well-being, and family functioning. PEARL, short for Perinatal Education for ACE Reduction & Loss Prevention, will provide assessment and ongoing screening throughout the perinatal period for participants who will receive weekly group therapy sessions. Participants can expect a strengths- and evidence-based approach to discuss symptom management, prevention strategies, and risk reduction through psychoeducation and a peer support component.
Each participant will receive a diagnostic assessment that will include initial screenings of maternal mental health and substance use challenges such as perinatal mood & anxiety disorders; the “baby blues”; postpartum depression, mania & psychosis; suicidal ideation; obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder; insomnia; trauma & posttraumatic stress disorder. Ongoing screenings will take place throughout the perinatal period to ensure linkage to additional services, programs, and resources when needed – either through YSB’s continuum of care or specialists in the community.
PEARL will explore other topics that influence maternal mental health & substance use such as Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs), biology, environment, interpersonal relationships & attachment; as well as food, housing, employment, or financial insecurity. The Peer Support component provides support through similar lived experience to decrease isolation & stigma, provide validation, support and perspective.
PEARL will be a rolling admission group held at the Carroll County Youth Service Bureau every Wednesday at 10 – 11 am. A licensed therapist will lead the group with the support of a peer support specialist. Medicaid and private insurance accepted. We will start accepting referrals for PEARL on September 2, 2025, with an anticipated start date of October 15, 2025. Referrals can be placed by contacting the Referral Coordinator at 410.848.2500, option 0. For more information on PEARL, please contact Bobby Jarrett, LCPC at 443.244.8657 or rjarrett@ccysb.org.
