Praised prevention

Syracuse University proved itself as a leader in suicide prevention through its recognition in a national registry.

The SU Counseling Center's program "Campus Connect: A Suicide Prevention Training for Gatekeepers," is listed in the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)/American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention. It is the first campus-specific program to be included.

Cory Wallack, a staff therapist at SU, said the counseling center is very proud to have received this recognition. Many campuses have contacted SU for aid in initiating similar programs on their campuses.

"I think that the program is really solid, and it offers a lot to the field that wasn't already out there," Wallack said.

The Campus Connect program is funded by a grant it received from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2005.

Campus Connect, which is listed under Educational and Training Programs in the SPRC/AFSP registry, trains individuals to recognize and deal with a student's crisis, a practice which is referred to as gate-keeping.

Gatekeeper training includes discussion of one's fears in a group setting, Wallack said. The program design prepares gatekeepers for the stress of dealing with a suicidal student. It also enables the gatekeeper to better understand the student's crisis and combat the feelings of loneliness, invalidation, judgment and other emotional issues that may overwhelm the student.

Staffs at the Department of Public Safety, the health center and Office of Residence Life have been trained through Campus Connect throughout the past three years. The future goals for the program are to train as many people as possible, more specifically training people involved in greek life, student affairs and other student leaders, Wallack said.

"They are able to give students information about the counseling center. They are able to provide them support. They are able to help reduce the stigma around seeking help," Wallack said.

Listings in the SPRC/AFSP registry are permanent unless a program suddenly proves itself ineligible. Updates are made to the registry as programs are certified.

"It will stay up until the planet melts," said Anara Guard, associate director of SPRC, on the importance of the registry.

The registry is nationally recognized to help guide institutions such as schools, hospitals, governments and nonprofits in effective suicide prevention. Guard said since suicide prevention is a young field, new programs look for guidance in running effectively.

"The registry is a way of really examining some programs and saying these do meet some consistent and clear standards, so we feel confident in recommending these programs," she said.

SU was asked to apply for the registry in January of 2007 after a presentation at a conference for SAMHSA. The program then had to be reviewed by three anonymous experts before being approved. The review is done through messaging, accuracy of material and ability to meet objective.

The Campus Connect is not proven to prevent suicide, that will take more time, Guard said. Rather, the program has been shown to be effective in helping others understand and deal with another's crisis.

"Depression might not look like you think that it does. ...Depression can take a lot of different forms. It can take the form of being cranky or crabby. Just really being off of your normal activities," Guard said

Isabel Barillas, a junior international relations major, said the fact that the counseling center is being recognized shows how important suicide prevention is to Syracuse.

Barillas is also a member of the student mental health task force and said she approves of the job the counseling center is doing.

"They are definitely heading in the right direction, and it's impossible to prevent everything from happening everywhere, but just continue guiding students," she said.

Sabrina Lochner, a sophomore political science and magazine journalism major, said the program is important because suicide is an issue on campus. A friend of hers dealt with a suicidal floor mate during the fall of her freshman year.

"I just thought it was horrible at the beginning of the year for someone to feel that way and for that to be their only alternative," Lochner said. "Hopefully this will be a better alternative for some people to have somewhere to turn then."