Tennessee Technological University

This project will provide services that will expand the Tennessee Technological University Counseling Center’s capacity to better respond to the increased demand of students who experience depression, suicidal ideation, and experience mental health crisis. More specifically, this project will enhance the Tennessee Technological University Counseling Center’s existing crisis prevention, intervention, and suicide prevention services.

Tennessee Technological University is a public 235 acre campus located in Cookeville, Tennessee approximately 80 miles from Nashville, Tennessee.  The campus has a total student body of 11,339 students with 1,025 of those students being graduate students and 10,314 being undergraduate students. Approximately 79 percent of this university is Caucasian with 3.7 percent being African American, 2.2 percent Hispanic, 1.3 percent Asian, 11 percent non-resident alien, and 2.8 percent other race/ethnicity. There are approximately 400 student veterans on campus. In addition, there are 300 students receiving services through the Office of Disability Services.

Project Goals include:

1. Provide training to the Tennessee Technological University Counseling Center mental health service providers on prevention of suicide and related behaviors.
2. Increase Question, Persuade, Refer gatekeeper trainings across the Tennessee Technological University campus to include targeted populations and departments that have a role in the prevention of suicide and related behaviors.
3. Reduce stigma and discrimination associated with suicide on Tennessee Technological University campus through the development and implementation of educational seminars.
4. Expand and implement effective crisis prevention and intervention for the Tennessee Technological University campus.
5. Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means by students with identified suicide risk.