Student Counseling Services hosted Suicide Prevention Awareness Week to initiate discussions about suicide among faculty and students. Events for the week included a mental health town hall, a coffee hour, a suicide prevention training session and a gathering to commemorate student suicides and further raise awareness. Students and faculty who attended the week’s events now have a better ability to recognize suicide ideation among peers and are aware of suicide prevention resources that are available on-campus.  

Mental Health Town Hall (Sept. 17) Taking place in the Hill Student Center, the town hall covered three topics: Identities and Stigma, was a discussion about LGBTQ and ethnic/racial identities and their effect on mental health, Faculty and Staff Role in Mental Health, a conversation that focused on how UAB’s employees can become more aware about mental health issues and Self Care, where panelists told their personal stories and gave helpful advice on managing mental health.

Coffee Hour (Sept. 18) Students, faculty and staff gathered at the Blazer Hall RLC, the Hill Student Center, INTO UAB Center and Shelby Building from 9-11 a.m. for fresh coffee and to discuss mental health. This event covered topics similar to those discussed at the town hall, but were delivered in a more informal setting.

QPR Training (Sept. 19) QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) Training provided participating students with the tools needed to identify suicide ideation. Attendees who completed the training received a certificate that identified them as a certified “gatekeeper”—able to identify a crisis and the warning signs in a person who may be contemplating suicide. Multiple QPR training sessions will be offered throughout each school year.

Glow Stick Event (Sept. 20) After mental health vendors finished presenting information on their services, students placed 1,100 glow sticks on the Campus Green to commemorate the number of students who commit suicide every year. The public display, which spanned half of UAB’s largest green space, was intended to raise awareness on the importance of mental health.

Want to learn about upcoming events? Visit UAB’s Student Counseling Services page here.