The authors describe dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as developed by Linehan for the treatment of adults with borderline personality disorder and explain how they have adapted DBT for the treatment of suicidal adolescents. The modifications involved in dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents include shortening the length of treatment from 1 year to 12 weeks, reducing the total number of skills taught, incorporating family members into the treatment, simplifying the language used in handouts and skills training lectures, and adding an optional 12 week follow-up Patient Consultation Group. The implementation of DBT for suicidal adolescents is then illustrated by a case study.