In this webinar, AllianceChicago will present their work on the project Improving the System for Timely Referrals: Youth at Risk for Suicide completed in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
A significant concern in youth suicide prevention is the timely referral for care following treatment after an attempt or crisis event, with thirty days post-event being pivotal to subsequent outcomes. Using quantitative and qualitative data, the AllianceChicago team will explore identified areas of vulnerability in the system for those transitioning from suicide-related care experiencing challenges with timely referrals to follow-up care and services.?
Objectives:
- identify key gaps in the existing processes for timely referrals of youth from tertiary care to primary and behavioral care following an attempt or crisis event?
- Evaluate potential policy solutions to improve the referral system to facilitate care continuity among youth experiencing suicidality.?
Presenters:
Kyra VanDoren is a Public Health Program Manager at AllianceChicago. Since joining the organization in 2023, she has managed several programs aimed at optimizing health outcomes through improved public health infrastructure in collaboration with community health centers. Kyra has managed the Timely Referrals project since 2024. She has experience in health education programming, clinical research, and project management. Kyra earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Health Studies and Spanish from Elon University. She is a current Master of Public Health candidate with a concentration in Health Policy and Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Shelly Sital, MPH, is a public health professional with expertise in public health informatics and data modernization with a focus on enhancing the use of technology for clinical decision support and guideline implementation, improving health-related social needs, and public health reporting. She joined AllianceChicago in 2020 and, as the Director of Public Health Initiatives, Shelly leads the AllianceChicago Public Health team in preparing health centers to address and mitigate public health issues in the communities they serve.