Youth Empowerment and Safety program for sexual and gender minority teens
Official title: Youth Empowerment and Safety Intervention for Systems-involved Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at Risk of Suicide
Run by Case Western Reserve University · NCT07214233 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try Peer Support Specialist (PSS) services to see if they help sexual and gender minority youth ages 12–17 who are involved with juvenile justice, child welfare, or community mental health and who have experienced self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 12 Years to 17 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Case Western Reserve University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | February 23, 2026 |
| Main results expected | November 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | November 30, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | May 8, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07214233 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are English-speaking youth ages 12–17 who self-identify as sexual or gender minorities, are involved with juvenile justice, child welfare, or community mental health systems, and have personal experience with self-injurious thoughts or behaviors, along with their willing primary caregivers.
✕Probably not a fit
Those unlikely to benefit include people outside the 12–17 age range, youth who do not identify as sexual or gender minorities, youth not involved with the listed public systems, individuals without SITB history, non-English speakers, or those unable to provide assent/consent.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The Youth Empowerment & Safety (YES) approach combines system-level improvements in identifying and referring self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) among sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) with the introduction of SGMY-tailored Peer Support Specialists (PSS). Participants receive either usual services or additional PSS support aimed at improving engagement with behavioral health treatment and other supports. The trial will measure feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact on engagement and safety-related outcomes among 12–17 year olds and their caregivers within public systems. Implementation takes place through partnerships with juvenile justice, child welfare, and community mental health settings at the study site in Cleveland, Ohio.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could increase engagement in behavioral health services and strengthen supports that reduce risk of self-injury and suicidal crises for SGMY youth.
How similar studies have gone: Peer Support Specialists have been shown in prior work to improve engagement in mental health services, but combining system-level identification/referral with SGMY-tailored PSS for system-involved suicidal youth is a more novel application with limited prior evidence.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Child Inclusion Criteria: * 12-17 years of age * Self-identify as a sexual or gender minority (SGM) * Involved in one or more system: juvenile justice, child welfare, and/or community-based mental health * Personal experience with self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) * English speaking * Willing and able to provide informed assent Child Exclusion Criteria: * Less than 12 or greater than 17 years of age (0-11 or 18 and over) * Do not self-identify as a sexual or gender minority (SGM) * Not involved in the juvenile justice, child welfare, and/or community-based mental health systems * No personal experience with self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB) * Not English speaking * Unwilling and/or unable to provide informed assent Caregiver Inclusion Criteria: * 18-80 years of age * Primary Caregiver of youth who meet child inclusion criteria listed above * English speaking * Willing and able to provide informed consent Caregiver Exclusion Criteria: * Less than 18 or greater than 80 years of age (0-17 or 81 and over) * Not the Primary Caregiver of youth who meet child inclusion criteria listed above * Not English speaking * Unwilling and/or unable to provide informed consent
Where it's running
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Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Dana M. Prince, PhD — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Dana M. Prince, PhD
- Email: dana.prince@case.edu
- Phone: 216-368-1707
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.