Saginaw Valley State University
Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), an institution of higher education, will facilitate a comprehensive approach to prevent suicide among students and enhance services for students with mental and behavioral health problems. SVSU will activate the Active Minds Chapter to increase awareness and decrease mental health stigma and train faculty, staff and students to recognize the warning signs of mental and behavioral health issues.
The project is geared toward all SVSU students and workshops and trainings will include faculty, staff and students. The 2010 fall semester enrollment is 10,656 students – 8,647 undergraduate, 1,465 graduate students, 544 other status; 40% male, 60% female; 70% of the students are age 25 or younger; average age for undergraduate student is 23; demographics: Native American (41) 0.38%; Asian American (74) 0.69%; African American (888) 8.33%; Hispanic (243) 2.28%; Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (4) 0.04%; White (8,460) 79.39%; Multi-racial (90) 0.84%; International (419) 3.93%; Canadian (40) 0.38%; Unknown (397) 3.73%. In the academic year 2009/2010 we had 16 students that demonstrated some form of suicide gesture, ideation or attempt, which warranted some type of intervention.
The project will address the current crisis response plan and create programming and awareness on campus for students, faculty/staff on mental health issues which include trainings on suicide prevention.
The project goal is to facilitate a comprehensive approach to prevent suicide and enhance services for students with mental and behavioral health problems. Measurable objectives include:
- SVSU will hold yearly online or on site monthly training sessions in cooperation with two partnering agencies that focus on warning signs for 20 faculty, staff, and students/session.
- The Active Minds Chapter will have 18 peer health educators by the end of year 3 of the project.
- By the end of year 3, in a random survey of 500 students/staff/faculty, 50% will have an awareness of mental health issues and know where to seek help.
- By the end of year 3, the University will include plans to address suicide prevention in the Crisis Response Plan.
We currently have 10,656 students attending SVSU and 1,283 faculty/staff that work at SVSU. We will impact all students and staff with awareness campaigns with the result that 50% of students/ faculty/staff will know where to seek help by the end of year 3. Training will be offered monthly for up to 20 faculty/staff/students for a total of 240 yearly or 720 over three years.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), under Grant No. 1H79SM083028-03
The views, opinions, and content expressed in this product do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of CMHS, SAMHSA, or HHS.
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