Val PetersonFirst LadyGeorgia TechApril 15, 2019

Tech Ends SuicideTogetherAAU Partners

2015 National College HealthAssessment estimates:

• 9.6% of college studentsexperience suicide ideation

• 1.6% attempt suicideeach year

• Colleges across the countryare diligently working toprevent suicide on theircampuses

Suicide – A National Issue

Georgia Tech’s Approach to the Problem

Spearheaded by theCounseling Centerand the Division ofStudent Life

Based on internationalZero Suicide campaignenacted in communityhealthcare systemsaround the world

Bold and Aspirational— Going from “suicidereduction” to “suicideelimination”

At the Heart:1) every member of theTech community is acaregiver and has a rolein suicide prevention

2) Even losing one lifeof our Georgia Techfamily is too many

Tech Ends Suicide Together—aims to bring the entire campuscommunity together—faculty, staff,students parents and alumni,through a commitment and call toaction to work together to endsuicide on campus.

Engage the Entire Campus Community

An Overview

Established Fall 2016Implementation TeamServes as the leadership group for theinitiative. Designed to represent theentire campus community

Oversight TeamServes as the executive leadership forthe initiative.

Lead AmbassadorAn individual in leadership selected to bethe spokesperson for the initiative.

Center for Community Health andWell-Being aligns CampusRecreation Center, HealthPromotion, Stamps HealthServices for campus-widewellness initiative:

• Wellness

• Mental health

• Alcohol and drug education

• Sexual assault prevention

• Tech joins End Suicide globaleffort

Endsuicide@gatech.edu

Launched as part of President’sInstitute Address August 2016

• Speaking on and off campus• Taking the program on the

road• University System of

Georgia• 3 National Mental

Health Conferences

• Voted 2017 Gift to Tech bystudents, $45,000 gift fromStudent Alumni Association

Getting the Word Out

The Website

Endsuicide.gatech.edu

Empowering the Community –the Toolkit

Question, Persuade, Refer(QPR) TrainingSuicide Prevention Gatekeeper TrainingThe most widely taught gatekeepertraining in the world

43 Georgia Tech staff, faculty andstudents are certified QPR trainers

2,953 students, faculty and staff havecompleted QPR training as of April 1.

Fact SheetInformational FlyerUnit Self-StudyProgress UpdatesBlueprint being finalized

Talking about it

“Eighty percent of students who take their life on a college campus never walk intothe doors of a counseling center. They never seek help. I can’t reach 26,000students, but, through training, we can all be the eyes and ears for the counselingcenter.”

Lacy Currie,Former Coordinator of Suicide Prevention and Crisis Response,Georgia Tech Counseling Center

95% of people whoattempt suicide andget help are neversuicidal again.

Working Together

We Can Save Lives - Together

Questions?