La Salle University

The primary purpose of the La Salle University Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Project is to reduce the potential for deaths of students due to suicide or alcohol/drug overdose by increasing outreach to our most vulnerable students; increasing by-stander interventions by faculty, staff and friends and increasing help seeking behaviors by students in need. La Salle has identified the following groups as being most at risk on campus: females whose average Blood Alcohol Level is .08 and above, commuter students, Hispanic students, first generation college, veterans, family members of the military. La Salle has also identified that most of the faculty, staff and students are not properly trained or equipped to deal with students who may be at risk for suicide. This grant will provide training for faculty and staff who come into contact with students on a daily basis. Gatekeeper trainings that help staff and faculty learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help will be one of primary methods of creating a preventative culture on campus. Students will learn intervention techniques through interactive simulations with Kognito. Resources will be available to all La Salle students, full and part time by promoting ProtoCall and the Jed Foundation Hotline. Along with these resources targeted printed materials will be developed for different audiences; students, families, veterans, LGBTQ students, etc. Since Spanish is the second most spoken language of campus these materials will be translated. A Grant Implementation Team will be created that will meet on a regular basis for ongoing review of the grant, assessment and evaluation.