Grantee Categories: Garrett Lee Smith Campus

The MSU It Takes a Community initiative is a new multidisciplinary program at Mississippi State University – Starkville designed to make suicide attempts and death by suicide a never event. Informed by the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and based off the SPRC’s comprehensive suicide prevention program, this new initiative aims to reduce suicides by 1. Increasing student connectedness and fostering belongingness; 2. broadening our mental health network by providing gatekeeper training to student leaders, faculty, and staff; and 3. creating new health and wellness initiatives aimed to help reduce suicidal ideation and encourage help-seeking behaviors. MSU is the largest university in the state of Mississippi with an enrollment of 21,883 students and growing. Although a majority of our students are from the state of Mississippi, 65 percent, we have a large number of out-of-state, 32 percent and international students from 80 countries around the world, 4 percent. Our campus is extremely diverse with 18.6 percent of students being African American and 28.3 percent affiliating with an ethnic minority group. The MSU Initiative has nine primary objectives based upon the SPRC evidence-based model. The project aims to 1. increase our ability to identify and assist students in distress, 2. increase student help-seeking behaviors, 3. provide evidence-based, effective care, 4. improve links between providers to ensure seamless transitions, 5. increasing connectedness, 6. teach new life skills and increase resilience, 7. reduce access to suicide means, 8. implement a postvention plan, and 9. utilize an evidence-based crisis response plan. The focus of the project will be building the infrastructure for a sustainable, evidence-based comprehensive suicide prevention program. Through this funding we aim to train at least 1,000 students, faculty, staff, and community members. We will also build a strong infrastructure through further development and validation of our gatekeeper training, developing a first year student course designed to teach life-skills and improve resilience, improving the mental health services offered on campus, and implementing service-learning opportunities designed to increase connectedness and reduce burdensomeness. Although the grant funding will last only three years, the focus of our initiative is to create a permanent and sustainable suicide prevention network at MSU aimed at making suicide a never event. The project is based upon the recommendations in the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, inspired by Zero Suicide, and takes advantage the SPRC’s evidence-based model for comprehensive suicide prevention.

Marshall University Suicide Prevention Education Across Campus (MU-SPEAC) program is a collaborative approach between multiple academic and campus departments, including: Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Public Health, Nursing, Physical Therapy, the School of Pharmacy, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Counseling Center, MU Wellness Center, Office of Veteran’s Affairs, Behavioral Health and Psychology Clinic, LGBTQ Office, Women’s Center, Office of Student Conduct, MU INTO Program, University Residence Halls, Student Support (first generation support), and the Athletic Department. MU-SPEAC will create a comprehensive public health approach to assist individuals at risk for suicidal behavior and to create a safer campus community. The program will also partner with state and community organizations that provide behavioral health support and suicide prevention education. MU-SPEAC will create a campus Advisory Team to provide education and services to prevent suicide among Marshall students. ALL MU students, including specific targeted populations (veterans, athletes, individuals who identify as LGBTQ, first generation, freshmen, medical students, professional groups and other at-risk groups) will be the population served by the programs and services provided in this grant. The taskforce will be comprised of campus and community stakeholders, including students. MU is a multi-campus, public university that provides undergraduate and graduate education to 13,000 students in West Virginia. MU-SPEAC is a public health approach that will consist of developing and providing culturally sensitive training to teach staff and faculty the necessary skills to provide evidence-based screening and intervention for individuals who are at risk for suicidal behavior and other related risk factor behaviors, such as substance misuse. This public health approach will target students at the universal, selective, and indicated levels. Universal strategies will target the entire MU student body to increase population based health and prevention. Specific programs at the level will include: education, gatekeeper training, awareness activities, social marketing, and working to increase help-seeking behavior, while decreasing stigma. Selected populations who have been shown to be at risk for suicide behavior, mental health concerns, and substance misuse will be targeted with suicide prevention strategies. Finally, MU-SPEAC will provide targeted clinical and prevention strategies toward Indicated groups on campus. These will be students who have made a suicide attempt, are in treatment for depression and anxiety, express suicidal thoughts/ideation and plans, are survivors of loss due to suicide, are recovering from substance misuse, and who are survivors of loss due to substance misuse. The MU-SPEAC grant will provide a collaborative framework to develop and implement a comprehensive public health approach using evidence-based programs and practices to address suicide on Marshall University’s campus.

The More Aware Initiative (MAI) is a comprehensive, collaborative, innovative, and unified approach to improving student mental health and wellness, while working to eliminate suicide among Kent State University (KSU) students. In fall 2017, 39,367 students were enrolled at KSU, with 71.2% at the main campus. About 60% are female and 70% are Caucasian. Recent data indicate that KSU students have a higher rate of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide in the last 12 months as compared college students nationally. Over the past five years, suicide attempts, ideation, and threats have generally increased for KSU students. To promote positive mental health and decrease suicidal ideation and attempts at KSU, the initiative will achieve five primary objectives: 1) Infrastructure: develop a comprehensive and coordinated network infrastructure to expand and enhance mental health, substance abuse and related programming and services for the KSU community. The network infrastructure will include peer-led programming and activities designed to improve student mental health and wellness and reduce incidents of students in crisis, 2) Gatekeeper Trainings: offer expanded and comprehensive options for students, faculty, staff, and families to become gatekeepers through online Kognito and QPR trainings and in-person Mental Health First Aid gatekeeper trainings, 3) Mental Health Screenings: promote and offer expanded in-person and online mental health and substance abuse screenings, 4) Increase Awareness of Mental Health Services: develop and implement a comprehensive campaign to promote and raise awareness of mental health and substance use and related issues and services. The campaign will include the creation of branding, developing student service materials, and unification and enhancement of campus mental health web pages, and 5) Increase Prevention Efforts: raise awareness and provide education to students through a peer-led initiative to provide innovative programming and activities. The initiative will develop and host Flash-Up events on the KSU main and all 7 regional campuses that will substantially increase the current reach of mental health and wellness-related programming and activities. Programming will be used to disseminate educational materials, improve mental wellness, raise awareness, increase coping skills and improve resiliency among approximately 39,000 students annually and 117,000 throughout the lifetime of the project. Aspects of the initiative, will specifically focus on at-risk groups such as students identifying as LGBTQ. The initiative will collect data from a variety of sources and levels not only to evaluate the effectiveness of the initiative as a whole, but to assess individual programs and activities as promising practices.

Fulfilling our land grant mission of open access and serving the state of Iowa, this grant affords Iowa State University (ISU) the opportunity to strengthen efforts around suicide and substance abuse prevention. Using a public health approach, including strategies to increase capacity, build infrastructure, conduct strategic planning, and institutionalize efforts, this project will positively benefit students at ISU, the City of Ames and other institutions of higher education in Iowa. National and ISU data indicate at risk populations as veterans, LGBTQIA+, racial and ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, low-income, and first generation students, who are a focus of this project. Summarized project goals and objectives follow: Goal 1 – Increase capacity by establishing a well-coordinated suicide and substance abuseprevention infrastructure. Goal 1 Objectives – Restructure/expand the Campus Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Team; create a community-based coalition; implement a statewide prevention conference. Goal 2 – Increase number of students, faculty, and staff receiving training to respond effectively to students with mental and substance use disorders by developing a strategic, tiered training approach. Goal 2 Objectives – Develop and implement a three-tiered training infrastructure including programming and funding. Goal 3 – Increase evidence-based screening strategies to identify students with mental and substance use disorders. Goal 3 Objectives –Conduct Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol/other drug issues on campus; increase screening, assessment, and treatment of student substance use disorders; expand usage of online and anonymous screening and referral option for students. Goal 4 – Increase knowledge about available mental and substance use disorder services and resources by implementing targeted strategies that reach at risk student populations and the broader campus community. Goal 4 Objectives – Develop social marketing strategic plan; utilize student ambassadors to conduct outreach and promotion; create a searchable community provider database to increase access to referral options. Goal 5 – Increase mental health promotion, suicide, and substance use prevention FTE on campus. Goal 5 Objectives – Hire a full-time employee to serve as a dedicated Suicide and Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator; secure funding for the sustainability of this position. Goal 6 – Increase institutional support by empowering students to reduce stigma associated with mental health and substance abuse issues. Goal 6 Objective – Facilitate coordination between student leaders from across the university to increase strategic partnerships within their initiatives. Given the initiatives in this project, we estimate reaching 14% or 5,000 students in year 1, 28% or 10,000 students in year 2, and 42% or 15,000 students in year 3. Over the 3 years of this project, we estimate minimally serving 30,000 students.

The goal of the propose PEACE (Promoting Education and Awareness about Campus Emotional Health) program is to create a cohesive educational and crisis intervention plan at Indian River State College (IRSC) regarding the risk factors for suicide and suicide prevention including alcohol/substance abuse, domestic violence, and sexual violence. Using standardized assessment tools and college-wide mental health training, high-risk students will be identified and referred for treatment. Services and programs will be provided for students, faculty, and staff such as gatekeeper training programs, educational seminars, suicide prevention awareness informational materials, and suicide postvention. The efficacy of these programs will be reflected by the development of a wide networking infrastructure that will link IRSC with resources and health care providers from the surrounding community. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students is the ultimate goal of the PEACE program. Enhanced student-based outcomes are expected to be consistent with program-related education, identification of at-risk students, and assessment that incorporates treatment referrals based on psychological and behavioral needs. PEACE personnel intend to market the program to 26,867 students and employees both annually and for the lifetime of the project. Throughout the project, they will educate and screen 3,000-3,500 individuals per year. This student population includes, but is not limited to, our underserved, LGBT, military, and 180 residential students living at the college dormitory. IRSC is a community/state college serving the multicultural region of Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties. Many of our students meet the criteria of first-generation, low-income, or disabled. These students encounter unique problems including: basic skill deficiencies, little or no time management, research, or study skills, lack of role models. and unfamiliarity with academic dialogue while simultaneously dealing with personal issues and struggles outside of college. Any of these problems can potentially cause overwhelming feelings of stress, anxiety, and/or depression. IRSC is also experiencing an increase in enrollment of returning veterans who often require specialized services to manage multiple barriers related to conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or Traumatic Brain Injury. Education and training efforts will focus on topics such as identifying at-risk students, developing an awareness of potential behavioral warning signs in the classroom, taking the appropriate steps in safely assisting students, and learning how to make a referral. By strengthening the College’s ability to identify and fill existing behavioral health service gaps, provide improved health assessment, to offer more diverse training, and link at-risk students with the appropriate intervention(s), student success opportunities and the overall health of IRSC will be substantially enhanced.

At Housatonic Community College, an urban community college located in Southwestern Connecticut, the purpose of Project SPEAK (Suicide Prevention through Education Awareness and Knowledge) is to prevent and create awareness of suicides at HCC through QPR (Question Persuade Refer) and Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) training, dissemination and presentation of printed and digital online materials and information, and through the utilization of college-wide resources and linkages with external community-based mental health organizations including the Single State Agency, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services through a comprehensive, collaborative, and well-coordinated approach. As one of two evidence-based model cited, Project SPEAK will partner with the Jed Foundation to serve as its external evaluator. The primary goal of Project SPEAK is to expand the campus culture around wellness and help-seeking for all students. The program serves the entire college student body (5,138 students) and places special emphasis on these high-risk groups: 1. Veterans, 2. LGBTQ, 3. international student sub-populations. Strategies/Interventions: Grant funded activities will run for three years beginning from September 30, 2018 – September 29, 2021. Year One focuses on building general awareness of suicide prevention; Year Two emphasizes the targeted at-risk sub-populations; Year Three ensures the program’s sustainability beyond the grant period. The strategies utilized will include the following: Training and Workshops: QPR training for staff and students and AMSR training for designated staff; Distribution of Suicide Prevention and Health and Wellness Materials; Screenings and Referrals; Partnerships and Networking; Evaluation and Quality Improvement; and Project Institutionalization.

Project Goals are as follows:

1) Expand existing infrastructure,

2) Expand existing primary prevention efforts through outreach,

3) Train students, faculty and staff to respond effectively to at-risk students with mental health and suicidal ideation, and

4) Provide comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention and treatment services to students.

The outcomes will be a college-wide increased awareness of the causes and warning signs of suicidal and self-destructive behaviors, a reduction of these behaviors, and a deeper familiarity with the support services available on campus and in the external community. By the end of the third year, fall of 2020, the program will achieve the following outcomes: six partnerships with external mental health agencies; 4,930 individuals (year 1: 1,560, year 2: 1,560, year 3: 1,560) exposed to awareness messaging in print and online; 250 individuals trained in Mental Health related practices/activities and/or in suicide prevention and mental health promotion.

Gettysburg College (GC) proposes the Suicide Prevention Initiative (SPI) to train our community to recognize and respond to students at risk, strengthen coalitions across campus in a united effort to educate and intervene with students, strengthen partnerships with external resources, build the capacity of Counseling Services (CS) to respond to increased demand, and create a template and schedule for sustaining ongoing efforts. SPI activities include creating an organized network and safety net for students: campus community training, preventative education and intervention, ongoing screenings, postvention preparation and training, and additional clinical hours. We will be especially attentive to student groups that are at higher risk for 1) mental illness and associated self-harm and/or 2) mental illness that is untreated or undertreated, especially students who identify LGBTQ (2.9%), students of color (21.4%), first-generation college attendees (17.4%), international students (6.8%), and athletes (24%). SPI interventions will reach at least 1000 persons per year and 3000 by the end of the grant period, with an exponential impact on community members given that GC is a smaller, residential institution. GC CS staff see approximately 25-30% (higher than the national average of 15-17%) of all students who are on campus each year. The number of client sessions has risen substantially, from 3628 (2012) to 4114 (2017) and a projected 4350 in 2018. CS staff find that on average each year 30% report passive suicidalideation, 10% thoughts of harming others, 7% were hospitalized for psychiatric care before college matriculation, 19% admit to committing self-harm, 23% report active suicidal ideation, and 6% have attempted suicide. CS is experiencing the increasing complexity of presenting problems that most CS directors are reporting nationwide. Goal 1: Increase the capacity of the GC community to recognize and respond to at-risk students, and reduce/eliminate symptoms and factors associated with greater risk of self-harm and mental illness. Objectives: by January 2019, provide up to 20 hours/week of outreach planning and directed programming; by January 2019, provide up to 12 additional clinical hours/week; by January 2019, train 15 trainers to provide Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper training to campus community; by May 2019, add 1 partner to network of campus and community resources for treating students; by summer 2021, add 3 additional partners; by September 2019 and each September thereafter, provide QPR training to 1000 students (at-risk student groups targeted first); by January 2019 and each September thereafter, provide QPR Gatekeeper and/or ALR training to 200 staff; by January 2020, develop and test a suicide postvention plan; by fall 2019 and each fall thereafter, provide information about suicide and resources to 90-100% of the campus community; by September 2021, publish a plan for sustainability of programming efforts. Goal 2: Identify and respond to areas of unmet need. Objectives: beginning January 2019 and every two years thereafter, evaluate need based on the results of the Healthy Minds Study; by January 2021, complete remediation of physical areas of high-risk to suicidal students.