Inside the Black Box: What Digital Clues Reveal Before Suicide with Kim Burdett Bartlett

About this episode

This episode explores the Black Box Project's findings on digital clues that may indicate suicidal behavior, featuring insights from Kim Burdett Bartlett.

What if the warning signs of suicide were present but invisible to everyone around us?In this powerful and deeply human episode of Hope Illuminated, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas sits down with fellow sister-on-a-mission Kim Burditt Bartlett, MSW to explore the groundbreaking findings of the Black Box Project — a first-of-its-kind initiative using donated digital devices to better understand behavioral patterns preceding suicide.This conversation weaves together lived experience, science, and strategy. Kim brings the voice of a sibling loss survivor, a trauma-informed social worker, and a national leader translating cutting-edge research into actionable suicide prevention.Drawing from the 2025 Black Box Project White Paper released by Stop Soldier Suicide , this episode explores what phone data revealed that traditional prevention methods often miss and what that means for prevention, intervention, and postvention across veterans, workplaces, and communities. For more informatio on this episode go to https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/hope-illuminated-podcast/159

People in this episode

Host: Sally Spencer-Thomas

Guest: Kim Burdett Bartlett

Topics covered

• suicide prevention
• digital clues
• behavioral patterns
• mental health
• trauma-informed care

Keywords

• Black Box Project
• suicide warning signs
• digital devices
• lived experience
• social work

Mentioned in this episode

Products: digital devices, Black Box Project White Paper

Books & works: Inside the Black Box:, Hope Illuminated

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