the CLARITY project
a community-driven approach to youth suicide prevention
goal
investigate and understand community-driven approaches for building resilience among youth to prevent suicide
The CLARITY (Community-Led Action for Resiliency Important Throughout Youth) project is a community-driven initiative, building resilience among the youth to prevent suicide.
CLARITY challenges conventional perspectives of suicide, commonly conceptualized as an isolated and person-level problem, by emphasizing the impact of systems, structures, spaces, and relationships on the well-being of young people. The project actively engages the community, tapping into their lived and layered experiences to inform interventions that go beyond individual-level solutions.
Through arts and dialogue-based research activities, they bring together youth advisors, community advisors, and caring adults to cultivate community connection and address upstream causes of youth distress and suicide. In essence, CLARITY represents a departure from resilience as a byproduct of trauma, envisioning it as a collective creation within the community. CLARITY is not merely a research project; it represents a collective commitment to creating a future where youth feel supported, connected, and resilient in the face of challenges.
empowering youth, strengthening communities
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Dr. Katrina Plamondon
PROJECT CO-LEAD
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Dr. Sana Shahram
PROJECT CO-LEAD
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Logan Burd
PROJECT COORDINATOR Contact at clarity.project@ubc.ca
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Joshua Raphael
ROYC COORDINATOR
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Shaheer Khan
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISANT
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Abigail Deuck
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
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Mia Ngo
YOUTH AMBASSADOR
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Maven Maraj
YOUTH AMBASSADOR
featured
FEBRUARY 2022 | Syilx Okanagan Nation
Launching the ROYC: Regional Okanagan Youth Council
Youth deserve a say in the work that affects them. In response to community concerns, CLARITY has launched the ROYC, addressing challenges faced by youth in the Central Okanagan. Led by Joshua Raphael, the ROYC offers hangouts and assemblies for youth engagement, easing the burden on local organizations while amplifying youth voices in decision-making. Through casual activities and structured forums, the ROYC aims to foster a sense of belonging and empower youth in shaping their community's future.
OUTPUTS | PUBLICATIONS | MEDIA
want to learn more about our work?
Shahram, S. Z., Smith, M. L., Ben‐David, S., Feddersen, M., Kemp, T. E., & Plamondon, K. (2021). Promoting “zest for life”: A systematic literature review of resiliency factors to prevent youth suicide. Journal of research on adolescence, 31(1), 4-24. (Open access)
Plamondon, K. & Shahram, S., on behalf of the CLARITY Project team (2022).Reimagining the role of community in resilience. CLARITY World Cafe Booklet. 24 May 2022: Rotary Centre for the Arts, Syilx Nation Territory (Kelowna, BC). (Open Access)
