City colleges of chicago suicide prevention program. - project name: city colleges of chicago suicide prevention services program summary: CCC will implement new strategies to enhance suicide…

City colleges of chicago suicide prevention program. - project name: city colleges of chicago suicide prevention services program summary: CCC will implement new strategies to enhance suicide prevention and related student mental health services through wellness centers on our seven campuses and satellite locations across chicago. We will enhance CCC capacity - quality and quantity - for improving student assessment and screening, awareness, staff and student training, outreach and crisis intervention to enhance suicide prevention efforts and strengthen student mental health. Populations served: we will serve the entire CCC student population drawn from across chicago which includes 63% female, 27% male, 4% transgender or non-binary; 41.1% latinx, 22.2% black, 11.6% white, 5.1% asian, 1.9% multi-racial; 8% veterans; 13% lgbtq; 17% non-native english speakers (predominantly spanish speaking). 41% have a disability including learning disabilities. The student population is over-represented by residents of chicago's lower-income, disadvantaged communities with high incidence of unemployment, poverty, violence and other negative factors. Strategies/interventions will be delivered based on best practices identified through national research, including network infrastructure by producing new policies and procedures system-wide, expanding hours and capacity for wellness services, strengthening healthcare and MH system partnerships for referrals of at-risk students. Expanding assessments and screenings of students by identifying best and proven tools to identify risk and MH problems, implement online assessments and increase screenings administered. Implement a peer counseling program with students trained to support wellness outreach, community-building and connection. Integrated awareness activities to get suicide prevention and pro-mental-health messages out to students in classroom, community, college life and campus-wide with a focus on removing stigma around MH challenges. Training for all staff and students using subject-matter experts and an evidence-based curriculum and ensure linkages and follow-up to strengthen impact of training. Content on risk-assessment, MH and substance abuse issues and interventions, peer support, and linkages/referrals. Extended hours for crisis intervention. Expanded outreach through classroom visits, participation in student orientations, campus activities and events, and electronic methods to ensure broad community awareness of issues and services. Broadly disseminating informational materials on suicide prevention, MH and wellness. Programs and activities including enhanced/expanded workshops on depression, suicide awareness, substance use/abuse concerns, "MH first aid," connection, community building, social emotional learning (SEL) and life-skills. Build strategies to reduce lethal means by campus-wide strategies and safety plans and engagement with wellness center students about their home situations. Project goals and measurable objectives: 100% of wellness center staff receive training, new materials and new intervention tools; 10% increase - each semester - in student participation in peer counseling and activities; 90% students report satisfaction with wellness center and partner services; 90% students who attend training demonstrate new knowledge and tools acquired; 90% students report improvement in their mental health status through periodic check-INS; 100% staff receive annual and booster training in crisis intervention and supporting students. 90% of counseling clients show improvement in clinical symptoms as measured by ccaps. Number served annually: 12,500 students participate in outreach, programming, training and events and 7500 participate in wellness center counseling or case management services. Number served project lifetime: 38,000 students, faculty and staff will participate in outreach programming, training, and events and 7500 students, faculty and staff will participate in counseling or case management services.