2008 Woodie Awards
New lifeline policy aims to assess student 'suicidality'
Alyssa Fleck
Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: News
Originally published: 10/4/07 at 5:10 PM EST
Last update: 10/4/07 at 5:09 PM EST
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Plattsburgh State has a new way to prevent and assist students struggling with suicidal thoughts.
"The goals of lifeline truly are to help the campus gain awareness and understanding of suicide and to really create a safety net for people who have thoughts of suicide," said Christy Minck, assistant director of student health and psychological services.
The lifeline suicide prevention program, which went into effect for the first time this semester, is a program that was developed to give students the opportunity to be assessed in circumstances where they feel that they have suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Based on a number of different programs around the country, the policy was formed by a task force which combined specially picked pieces of other programs to form what they believed would be the best policy for students on the PSUC campus.
"The thought was, okay, students who present us with thoughts of suicide should be assessed first and foremost for safety, and then beyond that, how can we help bring that student into the counseling center for a kind of ongoing assessment and then possible recommendations," Minck said.
After a student is presented to psychological services or university police, whether on their own or through the recommendation of faculty, they begin with an initial safety assessment to assure that the student is not in need of immediate hospitalization.
Following that assessment the student is then referred to the dean of students who will refer them to be further assessed.
"If a student comes to me with self endangerment charges I have always started the conversation out with explaining that they are not in trouble," said Dean of Students Steve Matthews. "This is how we are going to tie you into the services to help you get the help you need."
Matthews said in the event that a student does not follow his direction to receive an assessment from the lifeline program, he or she will then be mandated to obtain this assessment. In the event that the student continues to refuse, that student may be asked to leave the school.
"The goals of lifeline truly are to help the campus gain awareness and understanding of suicide and to really create a safety net for people who have thoughts of suicide," said Christy Minck, assistant director of student health and psychological services.
The lifeline suicide prevention program, which went into effect for the first time this semester, is a program that was developed to give students the opportunity to be assessed in circumstances where they feel that they have suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Based on a number of different programs around the country, the policy was formed by a task force which combined specially picked pieces of other programs to form what they believed would be the best policy for students on the PSUC campus.
"The thought was, okay, students who present us with thoughts of suicide should be assessed first and foremost for safety, and then beyond that, how can we help bring that student into the counseling center for a kind of ongoing assessment and then possible recommendations," Minck said.
After a student is presented to psychological services or university police, whether on their own or through the recommendation of faculty, they begin with an initial safety assessment to assure that the student is not in need of immediate hospitalization.
Following that assessment the student is then referred to the dean of students who will refer them to be further assessed.
"If a student comes to me with self endangerment charges I have always started the conversation out with explaining that they are not in trouble," said Dean of Students Steve Matthews. "This is how we are going to tie you into the services to help you get the help you need."
Matthews said in the event that a student does not follow his direction to receive an assessment from the lifeline program, he or she will then be mandated to obtain this assessment. In the event that the student continues to refuse, that student may be asked to leave the school.
Be the first to comment on this story