A Grassroots Approach to

Campus Suicide Prevention

Contributed by: Margaret Bertram, M.A. Senior Program Manager, Student-Led Initiatives

 

September 10, 2013

Many of you have lived this story. A bright, talented, driven student presents at your office after having struggled for far too long on their own. They talk about feeling aimless and confused; maybe it is hard for them to concentrate and get to class. You get them the help they have needed, but the anguish is too deep—the timeline is too short, and another promising young life ends too soon.

Active Minds was born out of just such a tragedy, and for 10 years we have built our name and network on the premise that until students are talking about mental health in an informed way, the silence of those affected will continue unabated and so, too, these tragedies.

Each year student-led chapters on over 400 campuses across the US break these silences and start conversations. They participate in our stigma reduction, eating disorders, and stress management campaigns, work with administrators to change policies and enhance resources, and refer their peers to resources available in their communities. As a result, they create safer communities in which their peers feel permission seek help when they need it.

Beginning this September 10th (World Suicide Prevention Day) and stretching through October 7th (Active Minds National Day Without Stigma), Active Minds is going back to its roots and recognizing the power of story sharing in preventing suicide. During this Suicide Prevention Month, Active Minds’ award winning Send Silence Packing program, a display of 1,100 backpacks representing the 1,100 college students who die by suicide each year, will make 12 stops in California. Additionally, members of our Active Minds Speakers Bureau will give a number of personal, educational, and empowering presentations on campuses across the country.

For the first time, we are also offering the opportunity for anyone to engage in Suicide Prevention Month by following us on Facebook and Twitter and visiting our dedicated webpage. By going to www.ActiveMinds.org/SuicidePrevention, folks across the country can obtain resources to carry out local events, create social media campaigns, and read important resources from our friends at the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and more. They can also read a number of stories and messages from survivors of suicide, suicide attempt survivors, and mental health advocates via our Suicide Prevention Month Blog. Or they can join us on social media and participate in up to three live Google+ hangouts.

Active Minds’ efforts to change the conversation about mental health continue throughout the year via our many programs including our National Mental Health on Campus Conference (November 15-17, 2013), which brings together student leaders, advocates, and experts from across the country. There, they participate workshops, are introduced to the variety of suicide prevention and mental health promotion programs, and find hundreds of other peers who share their passions, stories, and experiences in a dynamic, supportive environment.

To find out more about Active Minds and starting a chapter on your campus go to http://www.ActiveMinds.org. The more we speak up, the more lives we save.