Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Speaker for Colleges

At NC State, we started with two presentations, a student presentation that was streamed to parents, and then the next day, a customized faculty half-day training. This will be followed by consulting on priorities, and then a virtual parent presentation. The relationship is ongoing. Details of the first two programs are below.

Student Topic: Diary of a Broken Mind: A mother’s story

Time: 1-1.25 hours, Tuesday, March 21 at 7 pm, Talley Student Center on NC State campus

Description: After Anne Moss tried to ­find help for her son, Charles, a creative genius and rap artist, he met heroin, a love/hate relationship that ended with his suicide on June 5, 2015. This presentation focuses on the story of how the funniest, most popular kid in school suffered from depression and became addicted to heroin and how Anne Moss found healing after the most devastating loss of her life.

Learning outcomes:

• How we can best support one another
• Signs of suicide, how to listen, what to say and do
• Healthy vs. unhealthy coping strategies for healing
• How to fi­nd hope after a devastating loss

This event will emphasize healthy coping and grieving while asking university students to look out and be there for one another and how they can put their grief into action. Counselors will be on site for students who want to talk.

University newsletter to parents of students

Faculty Topic: Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention for University

Description: Participants will have the opportunity to work through scenarios and discussions to strengthen their ability to gain insight, tools, and resources to work through one of the most difficult topics those working with students face.  This empowers educators to speak on an uncomfortable topic. While it focuses on students, the strategies for adults are similar. This 3.5-hour training will focus in three parts on:

Part I – Prevention

• The three pillars of creating a suicide prevention culture
• Signs to look for in young adults and adults (because faculty are important, too). What to look for in artwork, on social media sites, and in papers kids write.
• Going upstream to prevent students from getting to crisis. A review of case studies of how educators have embedded social-emotional learning concepts (life skills) into their curriculum and how that helps kids build resilience and coping skills.
• Creating a suicide-safe environment so we put more time between thought and action (means restrictions such as breakaway closet rods)

Part II – Intervention

• What to say, what to do, scripts, and role play on how to respond.
• How to encourage students over 18 to talk to their parents if appropriate, giving them agency in the process so they feel more grounded in their own care.
• Tools for brief screenings to measure who is at risk.

Part III- Postvention

• The top errors most administrators make after a school suicide can put other vulnerable students at risk.
• How to support staff and students in their grief after the suicide of a teacher or student.
• What to do and say to the parent of a deceased child.
• What educators can say to students who accuse teachers of holding back or lying when the parent has asked that the cause of death not be disclosed?
• How to prevent contagion and cohort suicide.
• Memorial guidelines and creating a commemoration policy.

Part IV – Resources

For the Eastern Illinois University Bonine Suicide Prevention Conference

After Thomas Bonine died by suicide in June 1998 while attending Eastern Illinois University, his father wanted a way to keep his son’s memory and educate others about suicide. This conference has been the brainchild of Bonine’s father, Tom, to further suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention while making sure colleges and high schools have appropriate response plans to suicides and suicide attempts. This event was virtual and included about 300 participants. Here is the schedule for this event. (pdf)

Audience: Parents of the student who died by suicide, other loss survivors, students, teachers, counselors, and current and past graduates. Attendees from high schools and colleges. Community members. This one offered free CEUs. 

Keynote Topic: The Emotionally Naked Truth About Student Suicide

Description: Based on the book, Emotionally Naked: A Teacher’s Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk, this presentation will empower educators, parents, students, clinicians, and community members with the skills to leverage their relationships to reduce this threat to life. Attendees will learn the cryptic and often veiled ways students cry for help, how to respond and what to do. Attendees will also learn ways in which educators have modeled and embedded SEL competencies in learning to facilitate connection, the foundation of suicide prevention.

Learning outcomes: 

• Real-life examples of signs of suicide in youth and what to say/do

• Examples of how educators have seamlessly built connection, mindfulness, and coping skills into their classroom culture

• Lesser-known transitions when students are more at risk

• The impact of covid on mental health and how we can rebuild connection