Gateway Community and Technical College

Gateway Community and Technical College’s (Gateway) Project Campus Assessment, Response, And Evaluation is designed to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors that play a critical role in suicide prevention. The overall purpose of Project CARE is to build capacity and infrastructure to support expanded efforts to promote wellness and help-seeking of all students. The program incorporates outreach to vulnerable students, including those experiencing substance abuse and mental health issues who are at greater risk for suicide and suicide attempts. Gateway’s strategies build and sustain a foundation for mental health promotion, suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, and other prevention activities such as interpersonal violence and by-stander interventions.

Gateway’s student population is about 4,500 and includes the following demographics: 50% male/female; 48% non-traditional age (>25); almost 90% have individual incomes of less than $25,000; and over 50% are first in their family to attend college. First-generation and lowincome students face many challenges to college success. Seven factors put Gateway students at risk of leaving postsecondary education without earning their degrees: delaying entry into postsecondary education after high school; attending part-time; working full-time while enrolled; being financially independent from parents; having dependent children; being a single parent; and having a GED. These risk factors can also cause stressors related to substance abuse and mental health issues promoting a greater risk for suicide and suicide attempts.

Project CARE’s goals include: Goal 1: To increase collaboration among campus and community partners to deliver the message that suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Goal 2: To increase the amount of training to students, faculty, and staff on suicide prevention and mental health promotion. Goal 3: To increase the number of educational seminars and informational materials for students, faculty, staff, and family members on suicide prevention, identification and reduction of risk factors. Goal 4: To increase help-seeking among students and reduce negative attitudes for seeking care for mental and substance use disorders among students.

The total number of people to be served annually include approximately 4,700 students, faculty, staff, and their families through the various strategies described in section B