2026 Services for Teens at Risk (STAR)-Center Suicide Prevention Conference: Artificial Intelligence + Human Connection

STAR-Center Conference

Established in 1986, the Services for Teens at Risk (STAR)-Center is a nationally recognized suicide prevention program that combines clinical and outreach services designed to combat the problem of child and adolescent suicide. The STAR-Center annual conference presents best practices in clinical care incorporated into practical guidelines, and this year addressed the theme Artificial Intelligence + Human Connection. The STAR-Center conference course directors include Tina Goldstein, PhD (Pittsburgh Foundation Endowed Professor in Psychiatry Research and Director, STAR-Center); David Brent, MD (Endowed Chair in Suicide Studies and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, Epidemiology, and Pediatrics and co-Director, STAR-Center); and Paula McCommons, EdD (Director, STAR Outreach).

Keynote Speakers

Matthew Nock, PhD (Harvard University), presented a keynote address on using novel technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance the prediction and prevention of suicide, describing how advances in machine learning and AI offer unprecedented progress in suicide research and intervention but also pose new challenges to the field.

David Schonfeld, MD, FAAP (University of Southern California), discussed supporting children, families, and communities after a death by suicide, providing practical suggestions on common adjustment difficulties in children and how to promote effective coping strategies.

Skill Development Workshops

Kelly Beck, PhD, LPC (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), provided an overview of emotion regulation for autistic and neurodivergent youth with and without intellectual disability.

Candice Biernesser, PhD, LCSW (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), and Giana Teresi, MS (Doctoral Student of Clinical Psychology), presented a workshop on social media use and experiences in the assessment and treatment of adolescents with suicide risk.

Amy Byrd, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology), and Stephanie Stepp-Lorber, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology), facilitated a workshop entitled “Supporting Parents as Active Agents of Change: Using a DBT Framework to Target Parental Emotion Regulation and Strengthen Validation in the Treatment of Suicidal Youth.”

Caitlin Conner, PhD, LCP (Research Associate Professor of Psychiatry), presented a workshop on the shared and unique risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in autistic people.

Mary Woody, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), and Nermin Toukhy, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate), presented a workshop entitled “Real-World Violence on Social Media: Implications for Youth Mental Health and Suicide Risk.”

Additional workshops included:

  • Evidence-Informed Approaches to Reducing Access to the Lethal Means of Suicide (Kurt Michael, PhD  - The Jed Foundation)
  • Engagement That Works: Practical Approaches for Transition-Aged Youth (Erin Belback, MS, LPC; and Memphis Kastner, CPS  - UPMC)
  • Family-Based Interpersonal Psychotherapy (FB-IPT) for Depressed Preadolescents (Laura Dietz, PhD – University of Pittsburgh Department of Counseling and Behavioral Health)