From March 30 to April 3, Southern Utah University is hosting its Suicide Prevention Week. It aims to create space for honest conversations and provide tools for people to support themselves and each other. A variety of events will be held by the Health and Wellness Center to raise awareness.
On Monday, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is the Honor Beads activity. Tables will be set up across campus to offer colorful beads, each carrying its own significance. Students are encouraged to wear and display them as an outward personal symbol, such as loss of a loved one, support for a loved one who is struggling or a general commitment to the cause.
Two free QPR Training sessions will be available during the week. The acronym stands for Question, Persuade, Refer and offers practical, life-saving skills. The training will be held on Wednesday, April 1, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Cedar Breaks room in the Sharwan Smith Student Center, and on Friday, April 3, from 1:30 to 2:50 p.m. in the Hunter Alumni Center.
On Thursday, April 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a letter-writing station outside the Health and Wellness Center will offer students the opportunity to remind someone they know how much they mean to them.
A Suicide Prevention Conference will also be held in the Hunter Alumni Center on Friday, April 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event will promote suicide prevention principles, research and mental health and wellness awareness from Utah suicide prevention experts. For more information, view the full conference schedule.
This week will conclude with a free interactive performance of Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan and Johnny Donahoe on Friday, April 3. It will take place in the Hunter Alumni Center at 7:30 p.m and will follow the life of a seven-year-old child who, after visiting their mother in the hospital after her first attempt to take her own life, began a list of every brilliant thing about the world.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, we encourage you to get help by utilizing these local and national resources:
SUU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
SUU Mental Health Resources
TimelyCare
988 Lifeline
Learn more about other resources offered by the Health and Wellness Center.
Author:Fanny Felixine
Editor: Brooklyn Beard
Photos courtesy of SUU
life@suunews.net
