Bergen Community College

The proposed project enhances capacity of Bergen Community College (BCC) prevent suicide through a campaign to de-stigmatize and address issues relate to suicide and emotional well-being. BCC aims to successfully prepare students to cope with emotional distress by developing connectedness and help seeking skills. Through education, skill building, and access to necessary resources, students are less likely to feel a sense of hopelessness or disconnectedness that are associated factors in the increase of thoughts of suicide.

The targeted project demographics include disabled students, young male population, military-connected (including family members) and veterans, the LGBT population, and those students in our remedial and developmental programming who experience discouragement and disengagement because of slow progress toward academic goals. Of particular concern those who may express or present with feeling lonely, overwhelmed, hopeless, anxious, or down, perhaps with clinical service needs relating to depression and anxiety.

The project goal is to prevent suicide through a campaign to de-stigmatize and address issues relate to suicide and emotional well-being. The project integrates a broad based awareness campaign and turnkey training capacity through:

• 15 staff trained annually in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA);
• 125 students trained in MHFA training during the three years for peer support;
• 6 staff will become certified trainers in MHFA;
• 90% of staff and students completing MHFA will report increased comfort in identifying and intervening in situations where a mental illness or emotional crisis is suspected.
• 50 staff will complete the Connect-Gatekeeper Training.
• A large-scale scale web based survey regularly collects comprehensive information about student mental health and current knowledge of student’s suicidal experiences to promote awareness and inform effective intervention efforts.