Dr. Leslie Hulvershorn was sounding the alarm, but no one would listen.

Racing to Respond (trigger warning: this film discusses suicide)

More kids in Indiana were dying by suicide than ever before, and yet the treatments for kids who were suicidal had improved. Dr. Hulvershorn had a theory about why it was happening, but no one in her industry wanted to hear it.

At the same time, the Children’s Hospital Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry had just declared a national youth mental health crisis.

Riley Children’s Health had to do something about it. Enter Heidi Baskfield of Speak Our Minds/Rebel With a Cause Films and Costello Productions, who worked together to write, direct, and produce a film commissioned by Riley Children’s Health.

They had a few stipulations: The film had to address an issue in youth mental health that no one was talking about, it had to engage communities throughout Indiana, and it had to be about a topic that Riley Children’s Health felt they could influence, such as through legislation.

Then, a family came forward whose son had died by suicide the year earlier. They were ready to talk. And it just so happened that their story was an example of just the problem Dr. Hulvershorn had been shouting about. Watch the documentary here: https://www.pbs.org/video/racing-to-respond-zgceai/

IMPACT:

Engagement from state leadership; Indiana’s assistant attorney general spoke at the film’s screening in Indianapolis, symbolizing the state’s commitment to engaging youth mental health experts in trying to de-escalate the crisis.

609 people joined Riley Children’s Health’s advocacy network from direct appeals at screening events.

3,000+ people attended the screenings

Racing to Respond is streaming nationally on pbs.org to untold thousands of watchers

Racing to Respond screened at the Victory International Film Festival in Evansville.

Racing to Respond won Best Documentary and Grand Prize at Ragan Communications’ 2024 Video, Visual and Virtual Awards

A film by Rebel with a Cause Films.

A production of Costello Productions.

Made possible by Riley Children’s Health and Indiana University Health.

Special thanks to Randy and Angie Eugenio and Shawn and Jacqueline Scott. CREW

Executive Producers: & Lizzie Costello

Producers: Heidi Baskfield, Lizzie Costello & Shannon Umetani

Writer & Director: Lizzie Costello

Assistant Director: Shannon Umetani

Director of Photography: Colin Witherill

Editor: Keiko Ozaki

Gaffer: Nate Savige

Additional cinematography: Joe Sailer and Matt Coddaire

Hair & Makeup Artists: Jennifer Bly-Lake, Kim Conolly, & Lesa Miller

Sound mixer: John Blankenship, Nick Daniel, & Tom Johnson

Title Credit Designer: Elizabeth Vigil

Audio engineering: Jason McDaniel

Color and finishing: Peder Morgenthaler, Frame Linear

Associate producer: Alicia Kain