Student_Affairs_Annual_Report_2024

STUDENT AFFAIRS 13 ANNUAL REPORT Multi-Year Efforts to Destigmatize Help Seeking Behaviors Make an Impact Mental health is a vital part of our wellbeing and important for the success of our students, faculty, and staff. Two common barriers when seeking help for mental health concerns are the stigma surrounding mental health and a lack of information regarding available resources. To address these concerns, Northern has hosted 3 years of Mental Wellness Weeks, and 2 years of increased participation in the Out of the Darkness Walk, 988 and You’re Not Alone Campaigns, and QPR and Mental Health First Aid trainings. Additionally, Counseling Services has seen three therapists licensed in the past year, demonstrating their commitment to providing the highest quality of care. According to the South Dakota Department of Health, suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals 10-29 years old in South Dakota, with the highest rates of suicide among young adults ages 20-29. Of the South Dakotans that die by suicide each year, 78 percent are men, while women are nearly twice as likely to engage in nonfatal self-harm. Native Americans have a suicide rate 2.7 times higher than white individuals. In 2022, South Dakota had the sixth highest suicide rate in the United States. Mental Health First Aid and QPR A total of 36 benefits-eligible Northern faculty and staff, along with a few guests, were trained in Mental Health First Aid in the spring and fall of 2023. At Northern, Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training for faculty, staff, and graduate students with significant student contact outside of the classroom (coaches, advisors, student services). Developed by people with lived experience of mental health challenges and professionals, this course teaches early intervention techniques and improves mental health literacy to help you understand, identify, and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges. The training covers risk factors and protective factors specific to the higher education setting, the relevance of mental health to the campus community, using the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) in scenarios designed specifically for faculty, administration, students, and national, campus and community mental health resources. Mental Health First Aid is provided through a partnership between Counseling Services and Northeastern Mental Health Center (NEMHC). Training 25 benefits-eligible employees in Mental Health First Aid is Key Result 92 of the Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2021-2025). An impressive 339 students have been trained in QPR as of March 2024. QPR, like CPR, is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons. An abbreviation for Question, Persuade, and Refer, the intent is to identify and interrupt the crisis and direct that person to the proper care. This training will provide you with specific information and skills to know what to ask, how to encourage someone to get help, and practical ways to refer someone to appropriate care. Students receive a certificate at the end of the training. QPR is hosted by Counseling Services, and they are taking reservations for the 2024-2025 academic year. Training five hundred students in QPR is Key Result 67 of the Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2021-2025). Counseling Services has also trained more than 100 benefits eligible employees in QPR as part of Key Result 91 of the Student Affairs Strategic Plan (2021-2025). Out of the Darkness Walk For the second year in a row, more than 100 Northern students, staff, faculty, and family members came together to support the Aberdeen Out of the Darkness Walk on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at the Odde Ice Arena. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosts Community Walks in hundreds of cities across the country. They are the core of the Out of the Darkness movement,

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