Working Towards A
CARING COMMUNITY…
Suicide Prevention and Intervention
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Preventing Suicide in Our College and University Communities
Friday, May 2, 2008 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
St. Francis College, Brooklyn (Borough Hall)
180 Remsen St. (2 blocks from all major trains)
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Free admission ~ Continental breakfast and lunch provided
Pre-registration required ~ Certificate of participation provided
This free event is presented by the Samaritans of New York, with major funding from the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York City Council, in association with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, The Jed Foundation and St. Francis College
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WHO SHOULD ATTEND: NYC Metropolitan Area college and university mental health clinicians, health service, student affairs,residence life, RAs, student deans, chaplainry, athletic dept, campus safety officers, faculty advisors, campus facility personnel, student and Greek organization leadership and others who work in close proximity with college students. Note: this training is not for the general student population, but for those who provide them with education, services and care.
**Please forward this email to other staff (counseling, student/residential life, health service, deans, advisors, campus safety, chaplainry, athletic, etc.) at NYC Metropolitan Area colleges and universities. Thank you.
HOW TO REGISTER: (Deadline Tues. 4/29; seats available on a first-come, first-served basis)
- Download registration forms at: http://www.samaritansnyc.org/conferences/2008/college.html
- Save the Excel form to your computer and e-mail completed form as an attachment to suicideeducation@aol.com (preferred) or fax to (212) 677-1884.
- Samaritans will e-mail you a confirmation, which you MUST have received to attend the training.
- Directions to St. Francis College, conveniently located 2 blocks from Borough Hall (all major trains): http://www.stfranciscollege.edu/Media/Website%20Resources/images/pdfs/nyc_directions.pdf
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Significant Statistics:
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death of American college students, with an estimated 1,100 college students dying by suicide every year, an average of three per day.
- Most college counseling center directors report that the number of students seeking help for serious emotional problems is increasing... Yet the majority of students who die by suicide have never been to their counseling centers.
The CARING COMMUNITY Program will be an intensive all-day training program providing a comprehensive examination of the key components of effective suicide prevention practice on college campuses presented by experts from government, university and community-based agencies that will emphasize a realistic approach to responding to those at risk for suicide.
PRESENTERS INCLUDE: Cultural, communications and clinical experts from Columbia University, NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation, The Jed Foundation, New York University, The Samaritans of New York, NYU Child Study Center, Yeshiva University and others.
The Morning Program:
*Understanding the Problem – the statistics, trends, myths, and misconceptions tied to youth and college suicide; the personal and professional challenges we face when responding to those at risk.
*Cultural Sensitivity Panel – experts working with some of NYC's high-risk college populations discuss the key familial, social, and cultural barriers that those working with this population should be aware of.
The Afternoon Program:
*Crisis Communications – the skills, behaviors, tools and strategies used in the effective practice of active listening, including establishing rapport, steering into feelings and asking appropriate questions.
*Identification and Assessment – the warning signs, risk and protective factors tied to suicide in this population and the keys to determining degree of risk and doing effective assessments.
*Challengesof Dealing with Psychiatric Emergencies on Campus – a discussion of the social, psychological and legal challenges with general suggestions for approaches to these problems, focusing on both campus issues and integration with off-campus resources.
*Available Resources – learn more about ULifeline and other NYC college resources and referral services.
Continental breakfast and lunch provided
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THE SAMARITANS OF NEW YORK – Background Information
The non-religious Samaritans of New York is the local branch of the world’s oldest and largest crisis response network with 400 centers in 42 countries that operates NYC’s 24-hour suicide prevention hotline (212) 673-3000 and a Public Education Program that has trained over 30,000 frontline providers in the keys to effective suicide prevention at our workshops and conferences, including the NYC SUMMIT on Suicide Prevention. Samaritans also runs bereavement groups for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. To learn more, visit www.samaritansnyc.org.
Any questions should be directed to: Adrienne Rumble, Marketing Director, suicideeducation@aol.com
1 comment:
Just to let everyone know that I attend this conference and found it extremely useful and informative. The Samaritans of New York hosted it, although most of the speakers were from New York University.
Anyway, I was extremely impressed with Grace Hwang Hudson of NYU. She gave a presentation outlining how NYU was trying to involve the entire NYU community in reaching out to depressed students there. One of the interesting facts she presented was that many of the students who actually winded up committing suicide are Asian and most are not known to be depressed before they act. In other words, they rarely seek counseling when entering crisis.
Alan Ross of the Samaritans noted how many colleges today actually try to involve the total community in outreach efforts from staff in food services to security guards. Anyone who regularly comes into contact with students and might notice a change in behavior, such as a normally cheerful student suddenly turning withdrawn or worried looking. Food services staffer who might notice a student going from eating regular meals to barely ordering and such, are also encouraged to get involved.
I found it a very unusual and progressive way to reach out to students who might not seek help themselves; as well as help build an actual 'community' within the campus itself as people are encouraged to look out for one another in a "caring community".
Last but not least, there was a good speaker from Yeshiva University, Victor Schwartz. He spoke on FERPA. His presentation was long; but the bottom line appeared to be that universities are MORE likely to be sued if they listen to their legal depts. on FERPA issues. As every decision made from putting a student on leave to contacting parents must ALWAYS be made with the best interests of students in mind, not made with an eye to avoiding litigation.
Out in all it was a useful conference.
They have them fairly regularly so I would recommend this one for both deans and administrative staff to attend. However, I would also add bring your own lunch as they provide a bag one, which isn't very good.
That's it, hope it was useful.
Margaret Temple
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