Adams State University's Suicide Prevention Outreach Coordinator, Laurel Carter, was named to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's Consumer-Survivor Committee. A federally-funded public health service, the Lifeline project regularly engages expert collaborators, advisors, and partners. It is committed to reaching and serving all persons in the United States who are at risk of suicide through a national network of crisis centers.

"This is a significant recognition for Laurel," noted Gregg Elliott, director of Counseling & Career Services.

As part of her responsibilities, Laurel will travel to Baltimore for regular meetings to work directly with the Lifeline Board of Directors and will also serve on a workgroup responsible for specific tasks and/or product development between meetings. Lifeline members assist in developing public communication messages, culturally effective outreach approaches, and strategic partnerships that could assist in promoting the Lifeline to high risk groups.

Carter explained, "Part of the Lifeline's mission is to identify and improve the services it provides to high-risk populations. I hope to be able to identify gaps in services here at ASU, and use this committee's mission as a support and guide to bridge those gaps for our ASU community."

Grant-supported prevention

In 2011, Carter's position as Suicide Prevention Outreach Coordinator was created through a three-year, $225,000 Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention grant awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Carter is a 2010 graduate of ASU's Counselor Education MA program.

She has partnered with students and other personnel across campus to implement the first student-led, suicide prevention campaign, called SWAG: Suicide Watch Awareness Gang. The campaign's purpose is to promote an excitement for life and infinite possibility, instill hope and recovery, and foster an ASU community of connection and support. The campaign has brought much-needed awareness to the topic of suicide and has drawn individuals in an enthusiastic way to be a part of the mission. In its first year the campaign reached thousands of people within the university and community at large through the uplifting, educational, and healing events such as the fall's "1100 Reasons to Stay Alive and Connected" and last spring's Mental Health Awareness Week.

Carter serves on the ASU Campus Health and Safety Committee, and spends a large amount of her time reaching out to any person on campus who may be struggling with mental health concerns, building relationships, and connecting people to necessary resources. She trains campus and community members through ASIST Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training and safeTALK.

She also teaches the Prevention Awareness Crew course designed to provide preventative education to the ASU community, increase awareness of mental health concerns, and allow students the opportunity to take an active role in campus and community events aimed at prevention education. Carter is a member of the San Luis Valley Prevention Coalition and sits as chair-person for the Suicide Prevention subcommittee. She has spoken at various local community events on suicide intervention and prevention, including the "Day Without Hate Rally" for surrounding schools, monthly Community Lunch-n-Learns, and the Annual Parent Institute Conference.

High risk in San Luis Valley & Colorado

Suicide has always been a major concern for the SLV and for Colorado. The suicide rate for the SLV in 2009 was approximately 28 per 100,000, compared to the overall Colorado rate of 18.7 per 100,000, which ranked Colorado as the sixth worst state in the United States. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults in Colorado. The number of suicide deaths in 2010 in Colorado (867) exceeded the number of deaths from homicide (171), motor vehicle crash (480), influenza and pneumonia (549), and diabetes (721).

1,100 Reasons to Stay Alive - SWAG Facebook page

Adams State Crisis Counseling

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Article by: Mariah Pepe 

The Adams State Health and Safety team dives into the arena of psychological well being after receiving the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Garrett Lee Smith grant.

This grant allowed the school to hire Laurel Carter, an 2010 Adams State Counselor’s Education master’s graduate, as the new Counseling and Career Services Suicide Prevention Outreach Coordinator. In this position, Carter will work towards mental illness prevention, mental health promotion, and infrastructure development.

The Garrett Lee Smith grant is a federal allocation that was set up after Garrett Lee Smith, the son of an influential politician, committed suicide. Adams State was selected to receive this grant based on its demographics, Colorado and the San Luis Valley’s high suicide rates, and the school’s partnership with the community.

With her experience as a child’s consultant and advocate at the San Luis Valley Community Medical Health Center, Carter plans to monitor certain student populations because they are statistically more likely to struggle with a mental health issue. However, “the main goal is to get the message out about mental health problems; they’re a lot more common than people think, and there is help available for those who need it. Students and faculty shouldn’t be ashamed to seek help with an issue,” said Carter. There are a plethora of other people going through similar issues, and there are even more ways to address the issue.

Mainly, Carter hopes to get students with mental health concerns connected with a mental health care provider and to see an increase in safe and confidential reporting of potential mental health constituents and people seeking counselors for personal assistance. “There is a strong need for a decreased stigma attached to mental health, and more open discussions about such topics,” said Carter.

Carter hopes to set up an online assessment to help people privately explore or identify their own anxiety, depression, or social phobias. This will provide the student with an initial idea of how serious his or her issue is, explain what may be happening, and give some insight to the types of help that he or she should be seeking. “It is a great opportunity for students to take that first step in feeling comfortable with talking about their mental health,” said Carter.

Carter also hopes to set up a mental health awareness week in early April that will include documentaries, guest speakers, and training in mental health first aid. All projects are currently in their preliminary stages, and student assistance will remain her focus.

The school is hoping to initiate a campus-wide survey on mental health awareness that will be compared to a survey taken after Carter’s ideas have been implemented.

“Our goal is to create an atmosphere where any student who is struggling with thoughts of suicide can be safely and confidentially connected with a counselor who can help with what the student is struggling with. With increased awareness, a safe reporting culture, a closer-knit community, and gatekeeper training, Adams State can continue to make the campus a safer place for everyone,” Carter said.

Anyone who wishes to report concerning behavior on campus can do so on the faculty and staff resources page by clicking on the link called “Concern Form” under the heading of Campus Services.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently awarded Adams State College a three-year, $225,000 Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant. Gregg Elliott, director of the college's Counseling & Career Services Department, said the grant will aid in fostering a campus culture of help-seeking and reporting.

"We hope to reduce the stigma associated with depression, substance abuse, and suicidal behaviors, and to encourage people to become aware of warning signs," he said.

One of the program's first activities is an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) workshop, scheduled for Sept. 22-23. Open to students, faculty, staff, and community members, the event is co-sponsored by Adams State, the San Luis Valley Comprehensive Mental Health Center, and Trinidad State Junior College. For more information and to register for the training, please contact Elliott greggelliott@adams.edu at 587-7746.

One of 21 colleges and universities across the nation to receive the grant, Adams State will use it to support suicide prevention, including building infrastructure, conducting suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings across campus, and networking with mental health providers locally and regionally.

In addition, the grant will fund a full-time outreach coordinator/prevention specialist who will work closely with Adams State's Campus Health & Safety Committee. That group is responsible for identifying and intervening with campus constituents who may be becoming a threat to themselves or to others. The OC/PS will serve as a case manager for those who've been identified through the system, and conduct suicide prevention trainings and awareness projects on campus.

Other grant-supported activities include:

Colorado has the sixth highest suicide rate in the nation: 18.4/100,000 in 2009. The San Luis Valley's rate of over 28/100,000 in 2009 leads Colorado. SLV risk factors include rural, isolated communities, high poverty and low education levels, and high use of alcohol and drugs.