APS

2026 APS Annual Convention

Reimagining Mental Health for Juvenile Legal System-Involved Youth: Lived Experience, Trauma, and Suicidality across Development

Saturday, May 30, 2026 · Barcelona, Spain

Oral · Mental Health in Focus: Symptoms, Support & Intervention

This symposium unites community voices, socio-ecological research, and qualitative lived-experience insights to examine how trauma, suicidality, and systemic inequities shape the lives of juvenile legal system-involved youth. Together, the presentations highlight diverse pathways and offer strategies for creating more equitable, developmentally informed mental health interventions.

Chairs & Discussants

  • Jocelyn MezaChair
    UCLA Semel Institute

Presentations

  1. Lived Experiences: Developing Mental Health and Educational Programming for Incarcerated YouthJocelyn Meza
  2. Rethinking Suicidal Pathways: Socio-Ecological Predictors of Ideation and Attempts Among Sexually Exploited, Juvenile Legal System-Involved GirlsGia Chodzen
  3. Exploration of Developmental Trajectories between Suicidality and Juvenile Legal System InvolvementSara Schiff