Suicide Prevention
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the at 1.800.273.TALK (1.800.273.8255).
Our Suicide Prevention Policies & Protocol
一分快三 has in place a student suicide prevention policy designed to protect the health and well-being of students by having procedures in place to identify, assess the risk of, intervene in, and respond to suicidal behavior. This policy is intended to help students obtain the support and services necessary in order to have a safe, secure, and successful academic experience. Explore the dropdowns below to read the policy in full, and to view frequently asked questions.
Why implement a student suicide prevention protocol?
What is my role as a faculty or staff member with respect to the student suicide prevention protocol, and how can I help a student?
What happens after I follow the protocol?
Will there be professional development opportunities I can attend?
Are all 15 Massachusetts community colleges required to implement the protocol?
Where can I get more information about the Behavioral Intervention Team?
Who do I contact if I have more questions about the protocol?
Why implement a student suicide prevention protocol?
In the case of , the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court determined that colleges and universities have a "special relationship" with their students, including an affirmative duty to take "reasonable measures" to prevent a student's suicide, "where a university has actual knowledge of a student's suicide attempt that occurred while enrolled at the university or recently before matriculation, or of a student's stated plans or intentions to commit suicide."
The Massachusetts Community College General Counsel's Office developed the student suicide prevention protocol to ensure that all Massachusetts community colleges are taking the necessary steps to help prevent student suicide.
According to many suicide prevention organizations, suicide is preventable. In a July 2018 communication titled "Suicide Prevention," the National Association of Behavioral Intervention Teams highlighted the growing number of suicides across the nation. From veterans to college students, suicide rates have increased significantly over the past 20 years. Yet, many suicide prevention organizations agree that suicide is preventable. For more information on student suicide prevention, please visit the following organizations:
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.TALK (1.800.273.8255)
- Suicide Awareness & Prevention Info Sheet
What is my role as a faculty or staff member with respect to the student suicide prevention protocol, and how can I help a student?
Know your 一分快三 resources
- Campus Police: In an emergency immediately contact campus police at Ext. 2211 from an on-campus phone or 413.552.2211 or 911 from any other phone.
- Mental Health Support: CHD offers mental health support for 一分快三 students.
- CARE Team: Faculty and staff who are concerned about an individual’s behavior should contact the CARE Team, which was created to assess the behavior of individuals of concern and make appropriate referrals.
If you know and are comfortable talking with the student:
- Ask! It is okay to ask someone if they are having suicidal thoughts or feelings.
- Take the conversation seriously.
- Listen intently and respond empathetically.
According to the Student Suicide Prevention Protocol, you must act if you become aware of the following:
- An active suicide attempt (on or off campus): Immediately contact campus police at Ext. 2211 from an on-campus phone or 413.552.2211 or 911 from any other phone.
- Previous suicide attempt: Contact the CARE Team.
- Stated plans or intentions to commit suicide: Immediately contact campus police at Ext. 2211 from an on-campus phone or 413.552.2211 or 911 from any other phone. Then contact the CARE Team.
What happens after I follow the protocol?
In an emergency, campus police will begin the student suicide prevention protocol by contacting the student's emergency contact, performing a wellness check, and/or engaging other emergency protocols to ensure the safety of the student. Before returning to their studies, the student may be required to provide documentation from a health professional that they are ready to return.
In a non-emergency, the CARE Team will discuss reaching out to the student to assure the student has a support network. Campus police or or a member of the CARE Team may do a wellness check and/or contact the student's emergency contact.
Will there be professional development opportunities I can attend?
The following gatekeeper training will be provided throughout the year. Dates/times will be published soon.
QPR Gatekeeping/MA DPH Training for Suicide Prevention
QPR is an acronym for "Question. Persuade. Refer." As a gatekeeper, you will learn how to recognize signs of suicide, know how to offer hope, and know how to get help and save a life. This approach to suicide prevention relies on applying network theory, i.e., the person most likely to prevent a person from taking one's own life is someone the person already knows. Learn how to recognize and respond to suicide warning signs. "Ask the question, save a life."
USA Suicide Statistics, 2017 (via )
- 47,000 deaths annually are attributed to suicide. It is a leading cause of death.
- 1 suicide occurs every 11 minutes or 129 suicides every day
- 6,252 young people (age 15-24) die by suicide each year at a rate of one suicide every two hours.
- Estimates of attempted suicide: 25 attempts for each documented death. Note: 47,000 suicides translated into 1,200,000 attempts annually.
Are all 15 Massachusetts community colleges required to implement the protocol?
Yes. The protocol is required system-wide.