Florida Gulf Coast University

Florida Gulf Coast University proposes an information and education project around suicide and two of its main contributors, alcohol abuse and depression. Our rapidly-growing suburban state university with enrollment over 7,000 is working to be proactive in preventing mental health crises and assisting students who need psychological and psychiatric services. The project we propose begins by contracting with an expert trainer to educate the front line gatekeepers: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Housing and Residence Life. The second group will be second line gatekeepers, including Student Affairs, medical, interested faculty, police, student leaders, and other identified groups. During the course of the year, CAPS and Prevention & Wellness Services (PWS) will develop and present small education outreach style programs to living groups, classes, faculty meetings, or other groups on request. Third, we propose to develop promotional items and advertisements to increase awareness of the NationalSuicide Prevention Hotline and campus resources for mental health services. Finally, we propose to develop two pamphlets, one for students and one for the parents of the student, educating them on warning signs, what to say, and how to refer. Although our proposal is limited in scope, we believe it will have a positive impact on our community.