Grantee Types: Garrett Lee Smith Campus

Bergen Community College

The proposed project enhances capacity of Bergen Community College (BCC) prevent suicide through a campaign to de-stigmatize and address issues relate to suicide and emotional well-being. BCC aims to successfully prepare students to cope with emotional distress by developing connectedness and help seeking skills. Through education, skill building, and access to necessary resources, students are less likely to feel a sense of hopelessness or disconnectedness that are associated factors in the increase of thoughts of suicide.

The targeted project demographics include disabled students, young male population, military-connected (including family members) and veterans, the LGBT population, and those students in our remedial and developmental programming who experience discouragement and disengagement because of slow progress toward academic goals. Of particular concern those who may express or present with feeling lonely, overwhelmed, hopeless, anxious, or down, perhaps with clinical service needs relating to depression and anxiety.

The project goal is to prevent suicide through a campaign to de-stigmatize and address issues relate to suicide and emotional well-being. The project integrates a broad based awareness campaign and turnkey training capacity through:

  • 15 staff trained annually in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA);
  • 125 students trained in MHFA training during the three years for peer support;
  • 6 staff will become certified trainers in MHFA;
  • 90% of staff and students completing MHFA will report increased comfort in identifying and intervening in situations where a mental illness or emotional crisis is suspected.
  • 50 staff will complete the Connect-Gatekeeper Training.
  • A large-scale scale web based survey regularly collects comprehensive information about student mental health and current knowledge of student’s suicidal experiences to promote awareness and inform effective intervention efforts.

Arizona State University

Arizona State University (ASU) is one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing institutions of higher education, enrolling more than 67,000 students across four campuses in the Phoenix area. ASU’s “Campus Care Suicide Prevention” program is designed to address suicide prevention through the lens of primary and secondary prevention. The program targets gatekeepers, students, and parents to reduce risk for suicide and promote protective factors.

The current project is an expansion of ASU Tempe campus’ current successful suicide prevention program that targeted Residential/First Year students. This grant will bring the program to all four ASU campuses. In addition, this project will extend the program to target racial/ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, international students, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Questioning (LGBTIQ) students on all four ASU campuses.

Education is provided to gatekeepers, students and parents and designed to enhance knowledge, skills and abilities to identify and refer high-risk students; identify and respond to early warning signs and risk behaviors; promote protective factors; increase students’ awareness of personal risk and protective behaviors; increase the utilization of resources for counseling and wellness within the target populations; reduce stigma of mental and behavioral health conditions; engage students, faculty, staff, parents and other key individuals and constituencies in leadership roles to facilitate suicide prevention within the target populations; and promote a wellness program on all campuses, specifically targeting the high-risk populations.

Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University (“Appalachian”), a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system, will address suicide prevention by creating a comprehensive network of individuals who are trained to recognize signs, symptoms, and communications of suicide and respond by connecting students to needed resources. The project, which will be integrated into the University’s existing campus safety infrastructure, will be called the A.P.P.S. Cares Network. In order to serve the entire student body, a broad array of community members will be trained in all key areas where student interaction occurs, including residential (both on and off-campus), academic, healthcare, co-curricular and interpersonal/ family.A core team composed of mental health professionals, along with a select group of peer educators (known as the “APPS Cares Peer Network”), will be responsible for in-person trainings. Kognito Interactive (“Kognito”), an online gatekeeper training program, will be used to reach an even wider audience of community members. The broad outreach approach will include partnering with Student Development units (Dean of Students, University Housing, Center for Student Involvement & Leadership, Multicultural Student Development, Health Services, Wellness Center, Off-Campus Community Relations and Parent & Family Services); Academic departments (University College, Academic Advising, Military Science/ ROTC and Orientation); Campus Police, Athletics, Office of Disability Services and Counseling for Faculty & Staff.Goals of the project are as follows: 1) Increase the likelihood that the campus community will recognize and respond to students experiencing mental health distress or crisis; 2) Extend the University’s suicide prevention activities to reach a larger number of students than have been reached by previous efforts, and 3) Utilize a multi-disciplinary leadership network that will have the ability to share relevant information about mental health needs of Appalachian students and adapt and respond to mental health issues as they arise.Trained individuals will be provided with a protocol for responding to students in distress based on the acronym A.P.P.S.Approach and Acknowledge: Approach the student you are concerned about and acknowledge that you have noticed the signs, symptoms, and communication of their suffering.Probe: Show that you care by probing a little bit deeper.Promote hope: Promote hope by communicating that things can get better with the right help. Share: Share referrals with the student. Share information with your Help Network. Share the burden with your Support Network.

Amherst College

Amherst College, a private liberal arts institution, proposes to implement Creating a Caring Community (C3), a three-year, comprehensive suicide prevention program. The overarching goal of C3 is to increase the College community capacity to respond to students in distress. Amherst seeks to foster a campus climate that promotes self-care and help-seeking, so that students access mental health support before a crisis occurs.

C3 will include gatekeeper training for staff and student leaders, such as team captains, student organization leaders, and Residential Counselors, using two evidence-based approaches, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) and Student Support Network (SSN); expanded outreach to faculty, staff, and parents about campus mental health resources; the development of culturally competent educational activities and materials to promote self-care, well-being, and help-seeking among students; and improved coordination among campus personnel. Training and educational activities will reach at least 100 staff, 450 students, and 40 faculty in each year of the grant, with materials distributed to more than 400 staff, 165 faculty, and 1,740 students (along with the families of approximately 450 entering students) annually.

In recent years, Amherst has moved quickly and assertively to increase the socioeconomic and geographic diversity of its population of 1,794 undergraduates, recruiting significant numbers of first-generation and low-income students, as well as international students from outside North American and western Europe. These students experience a range of stressors as they encounter new academic demands and an unfamiliar residential environment. In addition, Amherst students from all backgrounds report increased levels of stress and anxiety, and increasing numbers of Amherst parents express concern for the emotional well-being of their children who are entering college.

Amherst will partner with Charles Morse, Director of Student Development and the Counseling Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, to adapt and implement SSN training at Amherst. Campus staff with training in meditation and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), with the support of the nonprofit Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, will help plan and implement prevention activities for all students. Project evaluation will be conducted by the University of Massachusetts Donohue Institute, a policy and research institute with extensive experience evaluating similar programs and activities.

Alcorn State University

The goal of the proposed ASU-SPARK (Suicide Prevention, Awareness and Reach through Kognito) is to prevent suicide in students at Alcorn State University, a Historically Black, and minority serving institution. This goal will be achieved by assessing the behavioral health needs of students, enhancing gatekeeper skills, creating awareness of behavioral health issues, reaching out to students in need and referring them for behavioral health services. Gate keeper skills of students, staff and faculty (campus community) at Alcorn State University (ASU) will be enhanced through a unique, cost effective, evidence-based at- risk training program provided by Kognito. The training program will serve a population including approximately 4000 students, 183 faculty and 303 staff population at ASU to identify psychological distress, increase help seeking behaviors, reduce stigma associated with mental health, and prepare them to approach, motivate and provide referral to those in psychological distress. Awareness of behavioral health issues and availability of behavioral health support services on campus, off campus and through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will be created through focus groups discussions, informational materials and Alcorn website. To strengthen the ASU counseling center, focused efforts will be made to review existing protocols, establish new protocols, and formalize collaborative linkages with local and state behavioral health agencies. In fulfilling the objectives of the project, support will be drawn from the various academic and administrative units on campus to make suicide prevention a campus wide effort.

Alabama State University

The Alabama State University (ASU) Suicide Project will target the 5500+ students on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Alabama.  ASU is a HBCU with a primarily African American (90%) campus body. The Suicide Project will work through the gatekeepers on campus including student leaders, faculty and staff to provide training, information, awareness and education regarding mental health, substance use, suicide prevention and intervention.

The purpose of the ASU Suicide Project is to: reduce suicide attempts and deaths among college students on the ASU campus. To that end, the goals and objectives of the project are as follows:

GOAL 1: To reduce the incidence of attempted and completed suicides on the ASU campus while increasing protective factors that will assist in preventing suicide and their attempts.

Objective 1.1     To increase knowledge about suicide, risk factors, protective factors, and crisis response to ASU students, faculty and staff.

Objective 1.2     To create greater awareness and sensitivity to suicide and its stressors/risk factors among the ASU community (students, faculty, and staff).

Objective 1.3     To increase the capacity of the ASU campus faculty, staff and students to respond to persons contemplating and/or attempting suicide.

ASU will partner with local organizations specializing in these areas including the Council on Substance Abuse – NCADD, Montgomery Area Mental Health Authority and Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program.  In addition, ASU will contract with KognitoCAMPUS to provide suicide prevention and gatekeeper training on the ASU campus.

Adams State University

The Adams State University Campus Suicide Prevention Program will implement infrastructure improvements and an annual program of campus outreach activities and gatekeeper trainings to foster a campus culture of help-seeking and reporting, and reduce the stigma associated with depression, substance abuse, and suicidal behaviors. The ASU program provides connections with mental health providers and on-campus groups, and provides referrals for at-risk students.

The 2009 suicide rate of 18.4/100,000 in Colorado is the sixth-highest in the US. The San Luis Valley rate of over 28/100,000 in 2009 leads Colorado. The San Luis Valley (SLV) is an extremely rural region at an altitude of 7,500 feet that includes some of the poorest counties in the nation and where the citizens struggle with low levels of education and high use of alcohol and other drugs. This suicide prevention project focuses on ASU students (2500), faculty and staff (500) with particular outreach to high-risk populations, such as GLBT, veteran, and American Indian students. 44% of ASU students are residents of the SLV and 86% are from Colorado. Reflective of SLV demographics, ASU has the largest percentage of minority students (39%) and the largest percentage of students who are eligible for need-based Pell grants (61%; avg. family income: $24,555) of any four-year institution in Colorado.

Project activities will build the university’s network of support and provider services for students and will promote a culture of help-seeking and reporting through gatekeeper trainings and campus outreach activities. Building on ASU existing prevention policy, a comprehensive crisis response plan will be developed. Infrastructure improvements include hiring an Outreach Coordinator/Prevention Specialist to work closely with ASU Students of Concern Committee to track and make referrals for students struggling with suicidal thoughts or actions. Developing trainers for ASIST and SafeTALK will dramatically increase the number of faculty, staff, and student leaders able to intervene with a suicidal student, and will increase awareness of suicide prevention resources. Annual mental health and alcohol screening events on campus will identify at-risk students and raise campus awareness of prevention issues. Partnerships with on-campus groups including the Gay-Straight Alliance, the Student Veterans group, and the Student Life Cross-Cultural Center will promote resources for high-risk populations. Community mental health providers will assist ASU with strengthening communications with emergency services and student connections to local, state and federal resources. Measurable objectives include increasing: number of faculty, staff, and student leaders trained in ASIST and/or SafeTALK; number of students of concern effectively tracked, provided with referrals and follow-ups; protocols adopted with mental health providers; and number of participants impacted through outreach activities. While the project aims to impact all of ASU students and faculty/staff, we anticipate reaching 800 or more participants each year. Estimated project total is 3,000 served.

Weber State University

To better meet the mental health needs of our students, Weber State University (WSU) in Ogden, Utah is proposing a
new peer support program, titled Wildcat Support Network (WSN). The program will train peers to facilitate evidencebased
support groups that will address our ability to better identify students at risk, increase help seeking behaviors, help
students develop life skills, and increase social connectedness. We expect the expanded capacity WSN will provide will
afford significantly lower rates of suicide and suicide ideation.

Wayne State University

Wayne State University (WSU) is proposing a suicide prevention project whose purpose is to eliminate deaths by suicide in the University community through the development of an infrastructure of education, training, and dissemination of information to all faculty, staff, students and their families. WSU plans to create an environment in which mental health issues are not stigmatized, seeking help is encouraged and seen as a strength, and members of the campus community step in to prevent harm to each other. This will be accomplished through the development of collaborative networks, innovative marketing campaigns, gatekeeper training programs, and culturally-appropriate educational programs. Although all members of the campus will be included, this project will work to provide targeted programs and outreach to students at particular risk including those who identify themselves as LGBTQ, military veterans, and those living in campus residence halls. Particular attention will be paid to students who are often marginalized including those who are minority students or have mental health disabilities.

WSU is a public university with an enrollment of over 27,000 students. It is located in Detroit, Michigan. The University is primarily a nonresidential campus with nearly 90% of students living off campus. WSU is the most ethnically diverse public university in the State of Michigan. The need for comprehensive suicide prevention efforts is clear from data derived from the University. At least six suicides have occurred in the last several years; however, accurate tracking has not been possible. Nevertheless, other data from student surveys indicate that our students are highly stressed, juggle many responsibilities, and many are not fully prepared academically. Those who seek services at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) have higher symptom levels than are typical at the counseling centers of universities the size of WSU.

Five goals are designed to impact the campus as a whole by creating a permanent infrastructure change for prevention services as well as approximately 4000 persons directly over the 3 year project period. These goals are:

1) Create a networking infrastructure that links WSU with health care providers from the broader community and resources;
2) Develop a gatekeeper training program on suicide prevention and mental health issues for all members of the University community, including students, faculty and staff;
3) Develop and implement, both in person and online, culturally appropriate educational seminars to all members of the University community;
4) Develop a cohesive marketing strategy that is culturally appropriate and advertises the WSU network infrastructure (and resources), the gatekeeper training (Kognito modules and Mental Health First Aid), the education seminars, college and national suicide prevention hotlines and Crisis Text Line; and,
5) Develop culturally appropriate online and print educational resources for parents and families to supplement information received in person at orientation.

Valparaiso University

The One-of-Us Initiative at Valparaiso University (ONUS VU) will create a more connected and safer campus community focused on decreasing risk by collectively promoting life. This program will serve our general student body, but will specifically target student veterans, LGBTQA and commuter students (populations at increased risk for suicide). University leaders and several VU campus departments and programs have volunteered their time and expertise to help develop sustainable partnerships and create a systemic structure for managing critical student incidents, mental health emergencies, and suicide. ONUS VU will bring together VU Counseling Services and other Student Affairs offices, Inclusion & Student Success Services (which includes Veterans Programs), Academic Affairs, Campus Ministry, and the Departments of Psychology, Social Work, and Education.

ONUS VU has four primary goals:

  1. Enhance mental health services for all college students; including those at risk for suicide, depression, serious mental illness, and/or substance use disorders that can lead to school failure.
  2. Increase the capacity to prevent mental and substance use disorders among college students.
  3. Promote help-seeking behavior and reduce negative public attitudes among students, faculty, and staff at Valparaiso University.
  4. Implement and continue evidence-based programs to improve the identification and treatment of at-risk college students so they can successfully complete their studies.

We will meet these goals through creating a network infrastructure between the campus and local communities and providing evidence-based trainings, awareness and stigma reduction programs, connectedness assessments and interventions, and increasing our capacity to screen for, assess, and treat suicide risk and mental and substance use disorders. We will add 12 new QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) trainers to our campus community and provide QPR gatekeeper trainings to at least 500 students, faculty, staff, and community members by the end of the grant. We also will provide information and outreach about mental health/substance use disorder services, and about suicide and suicide prevention, to our students and the local communities in coordination with Counseling Services and the Office of Alcohol & Drug Education, and via the following activities: an aggressive media and social media campaign, external speakers, and two annual courses on suicide.