University of South Florida – Campus Grantee

The University of South Florida Collaborative Suicide Prevention Project is a three year initiative, which will build upon university and state level resources and programs to enhance the existing university infrastructure and capacity, through improved collaborative partnerships across departments, student-led organizations, and community agencies, to develop a comprehensive suicide prevention approach to identify at-risk students through gatekeeper trainings, refer and link students to services through the Students of Concern Assistance Team, and train mental health professionals who, as a result of a professional training program, are able to assess and manage suicidal risk in students.

The goals/measurable objectives of this campus project are to (a) increase the number of persons involved in suicide prevention efforts; (b) increase the number of memorandums of understanding across departments and offices and with the community; (c) enhance the existing campus suicide prevention crisis plan and resource directory; (d) reduce barriers and improve attitudes toward suicide prevention amongst campus leaders across departments, administrative offices, and student-led organizations/groups; (e) develop a campus-wide suicide prevention marketing plan; (f) increase the quantity/quality of culturally competent prevention trainers; (g) increase distribution of suicide prevention materials (e.g. NSPL resources); (h) increase family involvement in suicide prevention; (i) increase the number of students identified by prevention activities; (j) improve the quantity/quality of professional assessments of students; and, (k) increase the number of referrals and successful, sustainable treatment linkages.

To achieve these goals, this project will strategically engage and work with various departments and centers such as Psychology, Social Work, Health, Wellness Centers, and the Joint Military Leadership Center as well as with non-profit community mental health agencies in Year 1. In Year 2, efforts will focus on preparing the campus for the identification of at-risk students by putting protocols and systems in place to effectively respond to at-risk students. The campus crisis response plan will be disseminated, professionals (24) on campus who receive referrals of at-risk students will be trained using the online QPR-T program and a supplemental role play training developed by the Florida GLS grantees, campus and family outreach efforts to increase awareness of the suicide prevention program, NSPL, and existing crisis support services will be started (6000 incoming students and families), and 6 trainers will be trained to deliver the Year 3 gatekeeper training program and mental health and substance abuse seminars. In Year 3, gatekeeper training will be deployed to identify at-risk students (24 trainings, 575 people trained) and an appropriate resource network will have been established to respond to referrals. Prevention services will target specific at-risk populations including (but not limited to): veterans, LGBTQ2-S students, racial and ethnically diverse students, international students, first generation students, student athletes, student substance users, and non-traditional students. These activities should lead to reduction in student suicide attempts and deaths.