People have a normal way they talk, show up, joke, practice, work, and connect. When that changes, it can signal that something is going on.
Dean Corso | Connection, Community and Prevention
Connection. Community. Prevention.
Connection Changes What Comes Next
Suicide prevention is not only something that happens in a hospital, office, or crisis center. It also happens when one person notices another person is not acting like themselves and takes the time to check in.
Through my suicide prevention internship, I learned that research matters, but people matter first. Hospitalization can be necessary and lifesaving, but nothing replaces steady, caring connection from the people around us.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Need Help Today?
If you or someone you care about is struggling, free and confidential support is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained counselor.
The main idea
When Stress Comes Down, Possibility Comes Back
One idea that stayed with me is simple: when stress goes down, the human mind has room to think again.
When someone feels trapped, ashamed, scared, or alone, it can be hard to see any way forward. But when another person listens, stays calm, and makes them feel less alone, the pressure can start to come down. That does not solve everything, but it can create enough space for hope, problem-solving, and help.
I see happiness differently now. It is not pretending life is easy. It is feeling connected enough to keep going when life is hard. It is knowing someone would notice if you changed.
That kind of connection can change what a person believes is possible.
Safety Matters. Connection Still Matters.
Before this internship, it was easy to assume that if someone was suicidal, the hospital was automatically the best place for them.
Now I understand the issue is more complicated. Hospitalization has an important place. Sometimes it is necessary. Sometimes it protects life.
But people also need trust, dignity, relationships, and support that continues after the crisis moment passes. A person is more than a risk level. A person is part of a family, a school, a team, a workplace, and a community.
Prevention can begin much earlier when the places where people live, learn, work, and belong know how to notice and respond with care.
What I Can Do Where I Already Am
I learned that I have a role in my own community. I do not have to wait until I have a degree or a title to make a difference. I can make a difference in high school, in Scouts, on a team, with friends, and now as I move into college.
The biggest lesson is paying attention. Maybe someone stops showing up. Maybe they get quiet. Maybe they seem more angry, disconnected, tired, or hopeless than usual.
"I noticed you have not seemed like yourself lately. Are you okay?"
How Change Starts
Select each step to see how an ordinary moment can become meaningful support.
It is better to ask directly than to avoid the topic because it feels uncomfortable. A caring question can help someone feel less alone.
Support is not only one conversation. It is checking back in, following up, and making sure someone knows they still matter.
988, trusted adults, family members, coaches, teachers, counselors, and community resources can all be part of support.
Community in action
LaCROSSe Out Violence & Suicide
Reaching young people where they already belong.
Prevention Belongs in Everyday Life
My first suicide prevention event took place in Casper, Wyoming, where I worked with the Boys & Girls Club and saw what prevention can look like outside a classroom or clinic.
The event brought together more than 250 young people for lacrosse clinics, a youth tournament, resource booths, and mental health education. It brought the conversation onto the field, around teammates, coaches, families, and community members.
Read About the Event250+ young people
2 days
Lacrosse clinics
Mental health education
Community partners
Dean's research
Research Should Change What We Do
This internship helped me understand that research is not just something people write and file away. Research drives policy, changes programs, and shapes how communities respond to real people.
My research focus is Harms of Hospitalization in Suicidality. This work looks at how hospitalization can help, while also asking how systems should think carefully about trauma, coercion, trust, dignity, person-centered care, and long-term engagement.
How do we keep people safe while also protecting the connections that help them heal?
Questions I am still thinking about
When does hospitalization help most?
Understanding who benefits, when, and under what conditions can improve person-centered care.
How can crisis care preserve dignity?
Safety and respect should work together, not compete with one another.
What makes someone willing to seek help again?
Trust, choice, follow-up, and the quality of human connection all matter.
How do communities become part of prevention?
Families, friends, schools, teams, and workplaces can notice change early and help connect people to support.
How can research lead to better policy?
Good research should influence real decisions, programs, and standards of care.
Prepared to Notice. Prepared to Support.
Scouting has shaped the way I think about responsibility, leadership, and service. My internship helped me connect those values to mental health.
Being prepared does not only mean knowing what to do in an outdoor emergency. It also means being prepared to notice when someone is struggling, prepared to listen, and prepared to help connect them with support.
What This Taught Me About Leadership
Working on a research paper with a team forced me to be organized, patient, and willing to adjust. Everyone has different schedules, strengths, opinions, and ways of working.
I want to build a career in investment banking. This experience changed how I think about leadership in that world too. A workplace is still a community. When people feel supported, they are more likely to think clearly, work well with others, and bring their best effort to the team.
Meet Dean
About Dean
Hello, my name is Dean Corso, and I am from Northern Virginia. My suicide prevention internship has introduced me to meaningful opportunities, lasting memories, and important conversations.
My first event took place in Casper, Wyoming, where I worked with the Boys & Girls Club. Since then, I have contributed to research on Harms of Hospitalization in Suicidality, participated in a webinar, and engaged with an elected official about youth mental health.
Email: [Add approved email here]
Dean's Introduction Video
Introduction video coming soonThis space is ready for Dean's approved Kajabi video.
Start With One Check-In
A lot of prevention starts before anyone calls it prevention.
It starts when someone notices. It starts when someone asks. It starts when someone stays.
Connectedness is not just a nice idea. It is one of the ways communities protect people.
Get Help Now: 988Research page coming soon.