Developed with rural Alaska Native communities to reduce youth suicide risk before a crisis, PC CARES (Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide) offers adults culturally-responsive ways to use suicide prevention best practices to promote mental wellbeing and reduce suicide risk in their families and communities. The model trains community health workers to facilitate a series of five 3-hour sessions over ~6 months to develop a ‘community of practice’ (CoP), whereby trusted adults (a) learn about suicide prevention research and best practices; (b) tailor the suicide prevention knowledge and practices to their cultures, communities and roles; (c) build cross-sector relationships (parents, teachers, etc.), and (d) do more for prevention. Each session shares different evidence-informed, actionable strategies, and participants adapt and apply in their interactions with youth. The model, then, allows for scientifically-informed and community-led action.

PC CARES core elements are:

1. Local tailoring by community health workers who lead the sessions;
2. Consistent structure for learning: Each learning circle in the series includes:
   a. ‘What does the research show?’ – Translates research into evidence-informed strategies.
   b. ‘What do we think?’ – Participants consider how the research-based information aligns (or not) with their lived experience and ideas.
   c. ‘What do we want to do’ – Participants plan to use the research-based ideas, tools, or strategies in their lives.
3. Capacity building: The program aims to create a ‘community of practice’ to address suicide.

PC CARES works best when facilitators are part of the community where PC CARES is offered and have jobs that enable them to participate in a 5-day training of facilitators, and afterward recruit and host a series of five sessions over a 6 month+ period, and receive ongoing support from the PC CARES team. Outcomes include: (1) adult participants’ self-perceived suicide prevention knowledge, self-efficacy and supportive actions for youth wellness and suicide prevention, (2) increased collaborative relationships with others in their community, called ‘communities of practice’, and (3) diffusion of suicide prevention ideas and strategies within participants’ social networks.