University of Iowa

Leveraging Campus- Community Collaborations to Enhance Suicide Prevention at the University of Iowa (LCCC) is a new initiative by The University of Iowa (UI) Counseling Services and its partners that directly addresses the critical need to develop appropriate suicide prevention programs for college students. This 3-year infrastructure development project will strengthen UI’s organizational structures to support suicide prevention and mental health promotion through the development of a comprehensive approach.

LCCC will 1) expand networks on and off campus, 2) increase communication between UI units and community partners and, 3) develop new materials and trainings focused on high risk groups and their families. This project will directly serve UI’s 30,000 students, 2,000 faculty and 12,000 staff with special efforts to reach students identified by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention as at-risk; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth, American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN), racial and ethnic minority students, and military family members and veterans.

The project has six objectives:

1. Increase culturally competent suicide prevention and mental health promotion training to students, faculty and staff;
2. Strengthen collaboration among campus and community partners to encourage the message that suicide prevention is everyones business;
3. Increase the number of educational materials provided to students, faculty, staff and family members on suicide prevention, including culturally appropriate materials for specific targeted populations and at-risk populations identified by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention;
4. Increase help-seeking behavior among students needing care for mental and behavioral health issues;
5. Provide educational activities to reduce stigma for seeking care for mental and behavioral health issues among students;
6. Increase the visibility of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the local 24-hour crisis line and crisis chat services.

Project objectives will be completed over a 3-year period. The design and implementation of LCCC fully supports the prevention of mental illness and preventing suicides and attempted suicides among populations at high risk. This project uses the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention from National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and supports its goals to provide an operating structure to catalyze planning, implementation and accountability for updating and advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.