POSTVENTION: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses A Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA) Project 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS About the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA) Envisioned and formed in September 2008 under the leadership of the American College Health Association (ACHA), the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA) is a partnership of organizations dedicated to advancing college mental health. The Alliance affirms that the issue of college mental health is central to student success, and therefore, is the responsibility of higher education. The following individuals provided valuable input and oversight on the creation of this guide. The American College Counseling Association (ACCA) The American Psychological Association (APA)/ Kathryn P. (Tina) Alessandria, PhD, LPCMH, ACS Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP) Associate Professor, Department of Counselor Education, Traci E. Callandrillo, PhD West Chester University Assistant Director for Clinical Services, Counseling Center, American University Monica Osburn, PhD Director, Counseling Center, NC State University The American Psychiatric Association (APA) The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Leigh White, MD Chief, Psychiatry Services, Michigan State University Melissa Bartsch, PhD Student Health Assistant Director/Director of Training, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Eric Klingensmith, PsyD The Association for University and College Counseling Assistant Director, Grand Valley State University Center Directors (AUCCCD) Counseling Center Dan Jones, PhD, ABPP Director, Counseling Center, Appalachian State University The American College Health Association (ACHA) Chris Brownson, PhD NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Director, Counseling and Mental Health Center, University Higher Education of Texas, Austin Stephanie A. Gordon, EdM John Kolligian, Jr., PhD Vice President for Professional Development Executive Director, University Health Services, Princeton University The Jed Foundation The American Psychological Association (APA) John MacPhee, MBA, MPH Executive Director Shari Robinson, PhD Associate Director for Clinical Services, University of Florida Jillian Niesley Program Director Jennifer Beard Smulson Officer, APA Victor Schwartz, MD Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer Medical Director Jenna Scott, PsyD Postdoctoral Research Fellow 2 SUPPORT This resource was made possible by additional generous support from these HEMHA member organizations: The American College Counseling Association (ACCA) The American College Counseling Association, a division of the American Counseling Association, is made up of diverse mental health professionals from the fields of counseling, psychology, and social work whose common theme is working within higher education settings. The American College Health Association (ACHA) Since 1920, The American College Health Association has linked college health professionals in order to provide advocacy, education, communications, products, and services, as well as promote research and culturally competent practices to enhance its members’ ability to advance the health of all students and the campus community. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the world’s largest psychiatric organization. Its member physicians work together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental disorders, including intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders. APA is the voice and conscience of modern psychiatry. The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors works to assist college/university directors in providing effective leadership and management of their centers, in accord with the professional principles and standards with special attention to issues of diversity and multiculturalism. The Jed Foundation The Jed Foundation is the nation’s leading non-profit organization working to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among college and university students. NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession, serving a full range of professionals who provide programs, experiences, and services that cultivate student learning and success in concert with the mission of our colleges and universities. 3 PROJECT ADVISORS HEMHA is grateful to the following individuals who provided resources, reviewed materials, and generously took the time to share their insights and experience. Moisés Barón, PhD Greg Eells, PhD Eric Owens, PhD Assistant Vice President for Associate Director of Gannett Assistant Professor, Counselor Student Affairs, Wellness Health Services, Education University of San Diego Director of Counseling and West Chester University Psychological Services (CAPS) Chris Brownson, PhD Cornell University Kerri Smith, LCSW, MPH Director, Counseling and Mental Senior Campus Prevention Specialist Health Center, University of Texas, Dan Jones, PhD, ABPP Suicide Prevention Resource Center Austin Director, Counseling Center, Appalachian State University Steve Sprinkle, PhD M. Dolores Cimini, PhD Director Assistant Director for Prevention Phil Meilman, PhD University of San Diego and Program Evaluation Director Counseling Center University Counseling Center Georgetown University University at Albany Counseling Center Cory Wallack, PhD Director Eugene R. Deisinger, PhD Brian Mistler, PhD Syracuse University Counseling Deputy Chief & Director of Associate Dean of Students Center Threat Management Health Services Director Virginia Tech Ringling College of Art and Design Jane Wiggins, PhD Managing Director Director, Campus Suicide SIGMA Threat Management Monica Osburn, PhD Prevention Center of Virginia Associates Director, Counseling Center James Madison University NC State University This resource guide has drawn heavily on the writings of Dolores Cimini, PhD, Phil Meilman, PhD, Cory Wallack, PhD and their colleagues. Particularly: Dolores Cimini & Estela Rivero’s – Postsuicide Intervention as a Prevention Tool: Developing a Comprehensive Campus Response to Suicide and Related Risk in Preventing College Student Suicide, 2013 Phil Meilman & Tanni Hall’s – Aftermath of tragic events: The development and use of community support meetings on a University Campus in Journal of American College Health, 2006 We would like to thank Jenna Scott, PsyD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Jed Foundation, for her major role in preparing this document. 4 INTRODUCTION This resource is intended for use by colleges and services, communication efforts, and decisions about universities that are affected by and/or want to be holding memorials and other related events with the prepared for campus crises and campus deaths. goal of helping the community return to a normal Suicide postvention efforts address the need for routine. predetermined strategies to effectively and sensitively It is our hope in developing this guide that schools will respond to campus deaths after they occur and also be better prepared to manage the painful challenge contribute to improved prevention efforts. This of a student suicide death. While our hope is that resource defines specific areas of consideration and schools will use this guide to help with planning so planning and offers suggestions for best practices. that systems are in place to respond, we have tried Planning and implementation of postvention to make this guide sufficiently concise to be valuable efforts rely heavily on using an interdisciplinary also when a school has not engaged in planning but approach that utilizes the skills and resources of is faced with a student suicide and needs to rapidly administrators, practitioners and the greater campus develop and implement a response plan. ■ community. These disciplines will ideally collaborate in the postvention planning and coordination, implementation of postvention efforts, clinical 5 DEFINING POSTVENTION about a suicide death, those who are already at risk for suicide may develop a greater sense that College and university postvention is the provision suicide is a viable option (Velting & Gould, 1997) of psychological support, crisis intervention and ✔ help students, faculty and staff solve problems other forms of assistance to those affected by a as this may help to enhance independent campus suicide. Suicide postvention involves a series functioning of planned interventions with those affected by ✔ facilitate understanding and help the campus a campus suicide with the intention to: community: • facilitate the grieving or adjustment process, • process what has happened • stabilize the environment, • encourage the expression of difficult emotions • reduce the risk of negative behaviors, • help individuals understand the impact of • limit the risk of further suicides through contagion the event The structure of the postvention program should fit ✔ avoid institutionalizing grief (i.e., when the with the specific needs of the campus community. ■ memory of a campus suicide becomes ingrained in the institution to the point that it becomes difficult to remember the community as safe or GOALS OF POSTVENTION without grief) In the aftermath of a suicide on campus, postvention ✔ allow for learning from current postvention efforts are directed towards helping the campus efforts to improve future prevention,