Of all psychiatric diagnoses, bipolar disorder imparts the greatest risk for completed suicide in adolescence, and is further associated with poor psychosocial functioning, substance abuse and legal difficulties, and exorbitant healthcare costs exceeding those for other adolescent psychiatric conditions. Treatment guidelines indicate optimal management of pediatric bipolar disorder includes a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Yet, little is known about effective psychotherapy approaches for this population, and none expressly target suicidality. An efficacious, cost-effective psychosocial intervention for adolescents with bipolar disorder has great potential to decrease the substantial morbidity, mortality and costs associated with adolescent bipolar disorder.