Southeast Community College
The SCC Community Suicide Prevention Project will allow Southeast Community College (SCC) to build a network of support for students. A Community Advocacy Council will bring together healthcare, higher education, and other key community resources with the goal of providing a safety net of services, including responding optimally to suicidal threats or attempts, coordination with medical care providers, aftercare and re-integration into college life. Training will be provided to SCC staff, faculty, and students with a goal of building a campus community of acceptance, inclusion, and support. The SCC Project will provide training and support to all Southeast Community College students at all three campuses (Lincoln, Milford, and Beatrice). The Project will build infrastructure by creating a network of supportive services for students who are experiencing emotional distress, which may lead to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.
In addition, the project will train a select group of SCC leadership to conduct Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) training to staff, faculty, and students. The QPR training will be provided in conjunction with SCC’s Suicide Prevention Protocol training. Educational seminars will be provided to SCC’s CARE Team, which was developed to foster meaningful connections and emotional and psychological support to students. The seminars will assist the team in developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to offer support to students regarding a variety of issues they may be experiencing. In addition, SCC will develop a process to select and train Safe Students, who will serve as an additional layer of support for students. They will receive training in the skills required to support students in a positive and inclusive manner.
This project will also develop prevention materials to share with parents regarding student wellness and the signs of suicidal ideation. Student wellness information will also be included on the SCC website, enhancing the Student Services page with prevention information, contacts for the CARE Team and Safe Students, and the SCC Counseling Assistance Program. All materials developed, including the website enhancement, will include promotion of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Finally, SCC will create a safe space on each campus for the LGBTQA+ community that will include networking and support information, as well as speaker and forum events.
Project goals include: increasing intra and extra collegiate collaboration; increasing training; providing information to parents; increasing the scope of work and training of the CARE Team; developing a Safe Student Program; increasing inclusiveness and support to the LGBTQA+ community specifically; and increasing the promotion of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Measurable objectives include: number of staff, faculty, and students trained in QPR and the SCC Suicide Prevention Protocol; number of linkages/agreements with area health care providers through the work of the SCC Community Advocacy Council; number of students helped by improved community linkages; number of students who choose to become Safe Students; number of hits on the newly developed Student Wellness Support page; and number of parents and family members that receive information regarding suicide prevention and student wellness. This project has the potential to reach all SCC students, staff, and faculty. It is anticipated that 250 individuals will be directly served by the program in year 1; 540 individuals in year 2; and 540 in year 3; for a total of 1,330 directly served through the lifetime of the project.