The ASAP Center team is dedicated to helping youth, families, and communities thrive.

Center programs aim to empower children, adolescents, young adults, and their families to recover from mental health problems and build lives they want to live. Through our Center, we train health and mental health care professionals in state of the art treatments for self-harm, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and depression among youth. To connect with our team, send us an email. The ASAP Center was founded through a grant from the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and US Department of Health and Human Services, which was funded from 09/30/2016 – 09/29/2021, and is part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and continues as an affiliate site and partner. Currently the Center continues with a focus on care for suicide and self-harm prevention at the UCLA and Duke sites, and substance misuse at the Duke site.  The ASAP Center continues research, service development, trainings, education, and clinical services through affiliated UCLA and Duke clinical sites. Currently, the Center has funding for a large comparative effectiveness trial through the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI, https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2021/youth-partners-care-suicide-prevention-ypic-sp) and the National Institute of Mental Health. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), was created by Congress in 2000, and continues with funding through the 21st Century Cures Act. The mission of the NCTSN is to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for children and families who experience or witness traumatic events. The ASAP Center offers training, consultation, and expertise in trauma-informed care for suicide, self-harm, and substance misuse treatment and prevention. As shown in the map below (NCTSN, 2018), as of November 2015 the Network included 79 funded members, 47 Organized Affiliate members (formerly funded sites), and 72 Individual Affiliates (individuals with previous or current associations with NCTSN sites). This network of providers, family members, researchers, and national partners is committed to improving the lives of children and families by enhancing care and using scientific advances to improve care and outcomes for children and families.

In addition to leading the ASAP Center team, Dr. Asarnow is the director of The Youth Stress and Mood Program at UCLA, and Dr. Goldston is the director of the Center for the Study of Suicide Prevention and Intervention at Duke University.