Reachout@4CS: cape COD community college campus suicide prevention program - at cape COD community college, a rural college located on an island in massachusetts, the purpose of the reachout program…

Reachout@4CS: cape COD community college campus suicide prevention program - at cape COD community college, a rural college located on an island in massachusetts, the purpose of the reachout program is to create an infrastructure both internally and externally to meet the needs of students especially those with behavioral and mental health needs and serious emotional disturbances. The program aims to create a network of on and off campus resources to enhance mental health services for all our students, to prevent mental health and substance use disorder through early identification and intervention, to promote help-seeking behaviors. The primary goal is to create an infrastructure for best practice for identification, intervention, and treatment for all students with a focus on specific populations including veterans, lgbtq, and those at risk for mental health or substance use disorder or at risk for suicide. Secondary goals include creating awareness in the college community around wellness and help-seeking behaviors for all students and enhancing our ability to administer screenings to the student population for early intervention. This will be achieved through trainings (QPR, mental health first aid (mhfa), safetalk, trauma-informed), screenings (afsp), and dissemination of printed and digital online materials and information, and through the utilization of college wide resources and linkages with external community-based mental health organizations including those from the regional substance use council and the behavioral health providers coalition. Grant funded activities will run from september 2022-2025. The first half of year 1 will focus on building the infrastructure and network both on and off campus for our students by creating memoranda of agreements with community-based organizations to get more students the services that they need. The goal is to have the 24/7 support line available in the first half of year 1. The second half of year 1 will setting up a training and events calendar for all activities related to grant activity. In this second half of year 1 we will begin to conduct trainings and promote screenings, and positive mental health messaging. Year 2 will focus on trainings for faculty, staff and students (peer education and resiliency) and campus wide messaging with a production of a PSA. Year 2 will also see a screening campaign to encourage students to take a screening and follow up with a professional when necessary through our 24/7 student support line. Year 3 will consist of more trainings, encouraging self-screenings and ensuring the program's sustainability beyond the grant period. Strategies include training and workshops, QPR, mhfa, and safetalk, peer education and resiliency training for students, screenings and referrals, a campus wide campaign for distribution of resources and materials on help-seeking strategies and mental health resources. Outcomes include increased college-wide awareness of mental health and substance use disorders, a reduction in these behaviors, and familiarity with the support services available on campus and in the community. In all years we will have a behavioral health summit to strengthen our knowledge and skills to serve students. All years will also have a networking event to strengthen our community partnerships outcomes will include partnerships with 6 agencies, 7,500 individuals exposed to messaging, and 725 individuals trained in mental health & substance use related practices/activities to prevent suicide and promote mental health.