Holding the Circle by Arts Equity Collective: Community-Centered Support for Suicidal Youth

Holding the Circle: Community-Centered Support for Suicidal Youth is a culturally responsive, trauma-informed curriculum designed for anyone working with children and teens in crisis. Blending Arts Equity Collective's K.C. Suicide Prevention Program's evidence-aligned strategies with creative, arts-based tools, it equips educators, behavioral health specialists, and youth workers to support young people with clarity, compassion, and cultural humility while also helping professionals prevent burnout. Inside, readers will find practical checklists, warning-sign guides, cyberbullying indicators, and crisis-response tools, including dedicated resources for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. Activities such as Therapeutic Writing, mindfulness practices, grounding strategies, and visual-arts analysis help youth identify emotions, communicate more openly, and build skills for self-regulation and healing. Featuring original artwork and writing from Alaska and beyond, this curriculum offers more than instruction; it offers connection, conversation, and hope. Holding the Circle empowers adults to create safer spaces, strengthen family communication, and support young people through their most vulnerable moments.