How to Talk with Your Child About Suicide, a Mental Health & Wellness Series Program

Janessa Alvarez and Cierra Ponzo, clinicians at the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut (CGC), will discuss warning signs of suicide, risk and protective factors, and what actions to take if a child or teen is experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Community resources that can help support a safety net for at-risk children will be provided.

This presentation is for parents and adults working with children and teens.

Registration appreciated. 

Janessa Alvarez is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Since 2018, she has worked as a bilingual crisis clinician in CGC’s Mobile Crisis Intervention Services Program assessing youth for risk, providing therapy and preventing suicide. She is also a supervisor of APA accredited Doctoral Psychology Internship Program at CGC. She trains and provides supervision to interns for their work in the Crisis program guiding interns to enhance risk assessment skills, interventions and competency on how to respond to youth experiencing varieties of crises.

Cierra Ponzo is a licensed clinical social worker working with children ages 3 to 18 at the CGC since 2021. Currently, she specializes in TFCBT, a form of trauma based treatment. Previously she has worked with children, families and parents in multiple settings including inpatient mental health facilities, residential facilities and outpatient treatment. She is experienced in assessing crises situations for suicidal behaviors and thoughts and developing safety plans.

Presented in partnership with the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut and the Network of the National Library of Medicine.