Archives
Campus-wide approach
Faculty, staff urged to help address harmful behaviors
By KEVIN FRYLING
Reporter Staff Writer
The Student Wellness Team is offering a series of suicide prevention events and programs to the UB community this semester. The "my SELF matters" series will include an essay contest, film series, wellness grants for student organizations and suicide prevention training for faculty and staff.
The series is funded in part by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Series Administration (SAMHSA) and is the first of a larger effort at UB to address suicide and other harmful behaviors through a comprehensive, campus-wide approach to the subject.
"The UB community can help us create a campus atmosphere of support and empowerment for UB's students by taking part in these programs and telling their students about them," says Sharon Mitchell, director of counseling services-part of the Student Wellness Team that includes Health Services and Wellness Education Services, as well as Counseling Services. "We want to partner with the people who are on the front lines with students every day."
The best means to prevent the negative emotions with which students often struggle from turning into harmful thoughts or actions, Mitchell continues, is establishing an environment that focuses on awareness and encourages vulnerable students to seek help.
Early detection and intervention on behalf of students with mental-health problems is the responsibility of the entire university community because these struggles can be significant obstacles to success in higher education, she says, noting that the academic achievement of even the most intelligent students is at risk if serious emotional issues are not addressed.
"Whenever the intellectual, emotional, physical or social elements of a student's life are out of balance for an extended period of time," she says, "academic progress may be compromised.
"While faculty and staff may have daily contact with students who are in emotional distress," Mitchell adds, "they may not feel they have the skills to express their concerns."
QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) Suicide Prevention Training provides faculty and staff with the skills that increase their confidence in approaching at-risk students. A nationally recognized behavior intervention program, QPR training teaches individuals to question students about suicidal thoughts, persuades them to seek help and refers them to professional resources on campus.
"We want to train faculty and staff to be the gatekeepers," says Mitchell, "to recognize the warning signs of students who may be in trouble."
QPR training is open this semester to faculty and staff only; however, instructors may request QPR training for students in their classes as a part of a class lecture. Sessions are 60 to 90 minutes in length.
Based on the number of training requests received from campus departments and such groups as University Police, Athletics, Residence Life and International Students and Scholars, Mitchell estimates that more than 400 members of the university community will learn QPR methods from certified trainers at UB this semester alone. The organization of individual training sessions for people who wish to learn QPR methods in one-on-one sessions is under way.
Faculty and staff interested in training should contact Thom Neill in Counseling Services at tjneill@buffalo.edu.
The three other projects that are part of the "my SELF matters" series this semester are the "Skin I Am In" essay contest, Health and Wellness Film Series and wellness grants for student organizations that promote wellness issues.
"We're trying to tap into activities that students are interested in," says Mitchell. "We really need assistance from faculty and staff to get the word out about these programs."
The details of these projects are as follows:
"Skin I Am In" essay contest: Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings about how being "different" impacts their emotional well-being by submitting an essay by Monday to the Student Wellness Team. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three essays that explore connections between emotional health, race, gender, religion, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation and ability. Essays should focus on both the challenges and the rewards of difference. For more information, go to http://wellness.buffalo .edu/essay.
Health and Wellness Film Series: Films in the series have been selected based on their relevance to issues important to college students' emotional and physical health. Each film is followed by a UB faculty and staff-facilitated discussion. Films to be screened are "Saving Face," a film about a Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother, 7:30 p.m. March 7 in the Screening Room in the Center for the Arts, North Campus, and "Prozac Nation," a film about a young woman struggling with depression during her first year at Harvard, 7:30 p.m. April 3 in the Student Union Theater, North Campus. For more information, go to http://wellness.buffalo.edu/film.shtml.
Wellness grants: Grants of up to $300 are available to qualified student organizations to fund programs that promote such wellness issues as nutrition, physical activity, mental health, sexual health, diversity education and sensitivity, academic preparation or healthy relationships. Go to http://wellness.buffalo.edu/stugrant for more information.
More information about all four programs, as well as the SAMHSA grant, is available at http://wellness.buffalo.edu/ubwell.