As mental health concerns continue to make headlines on college campuses, Big Red Resilience & Well-being has implemented a comprehensive approach to mental health promotion — encouraging students to ask for help when they need it, educating the campus community about how to notice and respond effectively when someone is in distress, and fostering emotional resilience so that students are better able to bounce back from the setbacks. As part of this approach, BRRWB has implemented a suicide prevention program, REACH, to equip faculty, staff, and students to engage in challenging conversations and offer support to Huskers who may be struggling.
Participants who complete the 90-minute REACH training become certified gatekeepers and receive a certificate and REACH lapel pin. The training outlines the magnitude of the problem, nationally and locally, and trains gatekeepers to REACH:
- Recognize warning signs
- Engage with empathy
- Ask directly about suicide
- Communicate hope
- Help suicidal individuals access treatment
Suicide prevention is a shared campus responsibility. Effective suicide prevention requires people to feel comfortable talking about and inviting others to talk appropriately about mental health and suicide. Even though suicide is a highly preventable public health problem, suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students. Together we can reduce the stigma of mental illness. You can request a REACH gatekeeper training for your department, the recognized student organization you advise, or university group by going to go.unl.edu/reach. All trainings are led by faculty, staff, and graduate student trainers.
BRRWB aims to train 1,500 gatekeepers before the start of the fall 2019 semester. Since the first training in October 2018, 812 gatekeepers have been trained at UNL.
Huskers need to be able to ask for help, students, faculty, and staff need to be equipped to recognize the signs and symptoms, and everyone needs to be familiar with resources. By offering your understanding, reassurance, and support, you can help anyone seek the help they need.
In addition to offering REACH, BRRWB has trained 25 well-being coaches to meet one-on-one with students to create the life they want. BRRWB also offers outreach through the Healthy Huskers program, including classroom presentations on topics related to the nine dimensions of well-being: career, cultural, emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual.
Look for Big Red Resilience & Well-being in the Nebraska Union on Tuesday, April 16 and the Nebraska East Union on Wednesday, April 17 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. for RU OK Day.
More details at: https://preventsuicide.unl.edu/