ILLINOIS: SIUE School of Pharmacy iCare grant to heighten suicide awareness
February 12, 2016
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Schools of Pharmacy and Nursing, and SIUE Counseling Services will use a multi-tiered approach in implementing the 2015 Campus Suicide Prevention Grant they recently received from SAMHSA. The iCARE initiative will increase awareness about suicide and suicide risk among students in crisis, promote help seeking, develop and review campus suicide prevention policies and procedures, and develop a formal crisis management plan. A messaging campaign will be developed and gatekeeper trainings will be provided for everyone — students, faculty, and staff. “The primary focus of the iCARE project is the identification or creation of exceptional training materials for our students, faculty and staff ,” said Kelly Gable, associate professor of pharmacy practice in the School of Pharmacy. “In many instances, ‘gatekeepers’ receive different training opportunities than do typical students. We believe that the college peer is the best gatekeeper for detecting behaviors indicative of a student in crisis. Therefore, we propose to utilize one core training program to be completed by students, faculty, staff and administration.” Students will also be engaged to assist in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the initiative.
Spark Extra! For more information on developing a college/university suicide prevention program, check out Campus MHAP: A Guide to Campus Mental Health Action Planning.