California State University – Long Beach

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.