We believe that the entire University community is responsible for the safety and emotional well-being of our students. Therefore, we are committed to providing mental health and suicide prevention initiatives at UNC Charlotte that strive to enrich the community of care that is an intrinsic piece of the institutional identity. To be successful as an institution, all members of Niner Nation must be involved and take an active role.
By providing training, education and resources, we are committed to building each individuals' capacity to be an active member of our community of care. With that guiding principle in mind, there are several programs in place to help the community partner with the mental health professionals to identify, respond to, refer, and assist students at risk.
IN A CRISIS
Students, faculty, staff, and family members are encouraged to learn about CAPS crisis services. Help for students is available throughout the day and evening hours from a variety of sources.
SELF-HELP RESOURCES
We recognize that many students may want to do some work on their own before deciding to speak with a counselor at CAPS. Our Self Help page provides resources that can be accessed at any time as students are working to improve their well-being. Complete an online mental health screening, access our video workshop modules, or connect with additional self help materials.
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among people ages 15-29. Students have support available on campus, and while the suicide rate among students is approximately one-half the rate of their non-college peers, the percentage of students who tell their counselors they have thoughts of suicide is increasing nationally and at the University.
The rise of suicidal thoughts reminds us that we all must take an active role in recognizing signs of distress, being knowledge about resources and working to connect individuals with appropriate resources. Promoting positive mental health and preventing suicide requires continuous, comprehensive training and development for all members of the community. Below are the training opportunities available to Niner Nation.
Niners Helping Niners - Student Training
Students are often supporting their fellow students and may be the first to learn of their mental health concerns and struggles. Join CAPS for this brief workshop focused on learning warning signs of mental health concerns, strategies to support other students, and ways to refer to campus resources when appropriate. Click here to learn more about this workshop and how to access it.
Intro to Supporting Students in Distress- Faculty/Staff Training
Faculty and staff are often the first individuals to recognize that a student may be experiencing distress. This training is intended to provide basic information and training on how to recognize warning signs, provides strategies to support students and ways to refer to campus resources when appropriate.
To learn more about this workshop and how to access it, please log in to the Learning and Organizational Development Portal.
For questions about these introductory training opportunities, please email suicideprevention@charlotte.edu.
QPR is a 90 minute training intended to foster a community of care by teaching individuals how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues. The training provides guidelines on how to Question a person about suicidal thoughts, Persuade them to get help, and Refer them to campus and/or local resources. The training is both educational and experiential and includes:
- An overview of statistics regarding suicide
- Myths versus facts
- Behavioral, verbal, and situational warning signs
- Concrete tools for helping someone in distress
- Role plays in small groups to practice these skills
UPCOMING QPR SESSIONS FOR STUDENTS:
*All sessions will be held virtually unless otherwise noted.
- Thurs., Jan. 25th from 4 - 5:30 pm, virtual . Register here.
- Tues., Feb. 6th from 1 - 2:30 pm, virtual. Register here.
- Wed., Feb. 21st from 12 -1:30 pm, PMSU 200. Register here. **lunch will be provided
- Thurs., March 21st from 11 am - 12:30 pm, virtual. Register here.
- Fri., April 19th from 1 - 2:30 pm, virtual. Register here.
UPCOMING QPR SESSIONS FOR FACULTY & STAFF:
To register for these sessions, please log in to the Learning & Development portal. Please note all sessions will be held virtually.
- Fri., Jan. 19th from 10:30 am - 12 pm, virtual.
- Tues., March 5th from 10:30 am - 12 pm, PMSU 263.
- Wed., May 22nd from 1:30 - 3 pm, virtual.
For questions about QPR Training please contact sarah.besse@charlotte.edu.
MHFA is an 8-hour training is a national public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental illnesses and substance use, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common supports. This course demonstrates how to offer initial help in a mental health crisis and connect persons to the appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care. The program also teaches the common risk factors and warning signs of specific types of illnesses like anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
The training is both educational and experiential and includes:
- An overview of statistics regarding mental health and suicide
- Myths versus facts
- Behavioral, verbal, and situational warning signs
- Concrete tools for helping someone in distress
UPCOMING MHFA SESSIONS FOR STUDENTS:
To register for these sessions, please complete the form found here.
*** Participants must complete 2 hours of pre-work and attend the full 6 hours of the instructor led training to earn their certificate.
- Fri., Jan. 26th from 9:30 am - 4 pm, TBD (in-person).
- Mon., March 18th & Wed., March 20th from 4:30 - 7:30 pm, virtual.
- Sat., April 6th from 10 am - 4:40 pm, CHHS 295.
- Tues., April 16th & Thurs., April 18th from 4 - 7 pm, virtual.
UPCOMING MHFA SESSIONS FOR FACULTY & STAFF:
To register for these sessions, please log in to the Learning & Development portal.
*** Participants must complete 2 hours of pre-work and attend the full 6 hours of the instructor led training to earn their certificate.
- Fri., Dec., 15th from 9am - 4:30pm, Colvard 5092
- Thurs., Feb. 1st & Fri., Feb. 2nd from 2 - 5 pm, virtual.
- Tues., May 28th & Wed., May 29th from 9 am - 12 pm, TDB (in-person).
- Tues., June 11th from 9 am - 4:40 pm, TDB (in-person).
For questions about Mental Health First Aid Training, please contact Alexis Rice at arice45@charlotte.edu.
These training opportunities are just one way to work to reduce mental health stigma and take an active role in building an ethic of wellbeing and foster a community of care at UNC Charlotte.
For questions about suicide prevention efforts, please email suicideprevention@charlotte.edu.
Suicide Prevention Week is a week dedicated to promoting resources and spreading the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide. Throughout the week CAPS will host a variety of programs and events, as well as highlight different resources and how to respond to someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis.
Don’t forget to engage with us on social media throughout the week. We will be sharing additional information through these platforms.
Schedule of Events
Monday, Sept. 11th
- Lifesaver Tabling Event - 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, PMSU Lobby Table
- Learn about different training opportunities and crisis resources
- Niners Helping Niners Wellness Workshop (formerly Niners on the Front Lines) - 6-7 pm, Virtually
- Join CAPS for this one-hour workshop focused on learning warning signs of mental health concerns, strategies to support other students, and ways to refer to campus resources when appropriate.
- Register here (link coming soon).
Tuesday, Sept. 12th
- Self-care Event featuring goat yoga and other self-care strategies - 2:30 - 5 pm, Star Quad
Thursday, Sept. 14th
- Dear Future Me Tabling Event - 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, PMSU Lobby Table
- Students are encouraged to write their future self a letter of hope and encouragement that will be stored in time capsules and shared back with them at the end of the semester.
- Students are encouraged to write their future self a letter of hope and encouragement that will be stored in time capsules and shared back with them at the end of the semester.
Friday, Sept. 9
- Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention Training for Faculty & Staff, 10:30 am - 12 pm
- Register through the Learning and Organizational Development Portal by searching “QPR”
For more information, contact suicideprevention@charlotte.edu
Counseling and Psychological Services brought Send Silence Packing to campus on Thursday, October 28th from 9am - 4pm in the COED CHHS Plaza. Send Silence Packing is an impactful education display of about 1000 backpacks that is designed to inspire action for suicide prevention through education and advocacy. To better understand the display watch this short video.
About 60 volunteers assisted throughout the day for the event. Thank you to all of those faculty, staff and particularly those students who gave their time to assist with the exhibit!
Let's Talk: Send Silence Packing Edition
From 3 - 5 PM on October 28th CAPS also hosted a special edition of Let's Talk. Let's Talk is a brief, drop-in and confidential problem-solving consultation with a CAPS team member. Visits are first come, first serve. No appointment necessary and the wait time is usually brief. This is not therapy and it is not designed for students needing urgent help.