Grantee Types: Hispanic Serving Institution

Offered in response to the need to reach out to a culturally diverse student population, the proposed project, CSUN Suicide Prevention and Awareness Program, will enable California State University, Northridge (CSUN) to enhance and expand campus suicide prevention efforts through the development and integration of culturally appropriate training materials, new education and training modules, and a networking infrastructure. This project addresses a gap in service to culturally diverse populations and higher-risk populations and enhances the university’s suicide prevention and mental and behavioral health services infrastructure by expanding the reach of training and educational programs in a culturally appropriate manner; thereby increasing the likelihood of intervention and help-seeking among at-risk students and their families. Current suicide prevention efforts at CSUN represent a mosaic of services rather than a comprehensive system of care. Although the university has many programs and services to meet the needs of its students, the current mosaic approach, as well as the lack of culturally appropriate materials, is not adequate to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students and growing number of full and part-time staff. CSUN proposes a three-year federal grant from SAMHSA of $305,950, with an equivalent non-federal match from CSUN and its community partner agency, the Tarzana Treatment Center. The goals of the proposed project are to: (1) prepare and obtain culturally appropriate informational materials directed at addressing the warning signs of suicide and suicide risk factors, such as depression and substance abuse, among the CSUN?s two largest student ethnic groups, Latina and Pacific Islanders, as well as LGBT students and military veterans; (2) create a networking infrastructure by developing a centralized website that connects our target populations with the university’s programs and services and community support agencies; (3) create a networking infrastructure by developing a moderated blog and social networking site to connect students and families with expert advice and training materials that are culturally appropriate and germane to a diverse study population and their families; (4) develop new educational seminars and the use of newly acquired training materials that enable students, faculty, and staff to respond more effectively to students with mental and behavioral health problems and to promote help-seeking behavior among students in general and Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, and LGBT students in particulate; (5) develop a new training model that reaches more faculty and critical line staff and places critical training resources within more departments and units.

The California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) GLS Campus Suicide Prevention Project aligns with the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance’s belief that campuses can create a culture of caring through specific and continuous outreach and education. Establishing an infrastructure of prevention, identification, and risk reduction – through gatekeeper training, educational seminars, and materials – encourages shared responsibility to support students. This project serves all members of the campus community: students, staff, faculty, administrators, and family/supporters. This is done through collaboration with on- and off-campus stakeholders. All activities address the needs of the diverse and multicultural population at one of the youngest campuses in the California State University system. The current CSUMB student population identifies as 63% (4781) female and 37% (2835) male, with 6% self-identifying as African American, 7% as Asian American, 39% as Latino, 1% as Native American, 1% as Pacific Islander, 8% as two or more races, 32% as White, and 6% as other/decline.

Of the 918 undergraduate students participating in the Spring 2015 administration of the National College Health Assessment, 11.7% indicated that they had seriously considered suicide at least once in the previous 12 months (up from 8.6% in 2013) and 2.7% self-reported having made a suicide attempt (up from 2.3%). Fall 2015 data from the CSUMB Personal Growth and Counseling Center indicated 10 students were involuntarily hospitalized for suicidal ideation, while five made an actual suicide attempt within the previous year.

Throughout the lifetime of the project, 63 CSUMB community members will complete gatekeeper training: 18 in year one, 21 in year two, and 24 in year three. These individuals will serve as members of the Otter Support Network. By the end of the project, an additional 1920 individuals will participate in suicide prevention educational seminars – 320 per semester, 640 per academic year. Educational seminars will help break down negative attitudes, stigma, and barriers to help seeking for individuals in mental health crises. Suicide prevention and educational materials for family members and supporters will be developed and provided through a variety of methods, including supporter orientation, parent newsletters, websites, and social media.

California State University, Long Beach has established Project OCEAN (On Campus Emergency Assistance Network). The overall goal of Project OCEAN is to prevent suicide by promoting a campus climate that honors the lives of all students while encouraging and allowing them to seek support when needed. The project targets “high-risk” students (e.g. students with disabilities, first generation students, low-income students, and graduate students from the Schools of Natural Sciences and Engineering) and provides them with increased education, screening, and support services.

Project OCEAN promotes access to existing campus mental health services by training a cadre of faculty, staff, and students in appropriate referral strategies using the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) program. Project staff members also work with student focus groups to formulate and produce a social marketing campaign. Additionally, clinical staff members work to increase screenings for depression, substance abuse, and other mental disorders that put students at higher risk for suicide. Project materials are distributed to parents through parent orientation programs and the University Parents’ Council. Evaluation strategies include a student survey designed to measure two outcomes: 1) Targeted students will report decreases in measures of poor mental health/depression; and 2) Students will report increased awareness and regard for campus mental health services.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among college students. While attending college is a protective factor against suicide compared to non-school attending 18-24 year old category, transitioning to a college campus can be an overwhelming experience. California State University, Fullerton is the largest state university among the twenty three California State University campuses, with a rich and diverse student demographic. With 4% of CSUF students participating in the International Education Program, and most CSUF students working at least 10 hours per week, CSUF students are under tremendous amounts of stress. The Campus Suicide Prevention Project at CSUF will focus on establishing a Crisis Response Team and protocol to better assist the campus community to respond to a suicide or suicide attempt. Other goals of the project include enhanced faculty, staff and student training to better recognize signs of at risk students in order to refer for mental health treatment. The project will focus on reducing the stigma to receiving treatment for mental health conditions. This will be accomplished by conducting a social marketing campaign, targeting multicultural and ethnic populations, as these student groups are less likely to seek treatment for mental health conditions. This project will implement a tracking system to better quantify mental health issues of CSUF students so as to prioritize services and programming to address this public health concern.

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.