National Service Week 2017
NSW 2017 Media Coverage
NSW 2017 Summary
The theme for APO's National Service Week 2017 was "Suicide Prevention on Campus". Mu Pi Chapter organized a week of events and exhibits in support of NSW 2017. We tried to address many issues relating to suicide prevention by providing a variety of events that catered to different populations at Colorado School of Mines. Our priority was to engage the campus not only by having them participate in our events, but also by partnering with us to plan and execute our NSW program. In total, more than 25 campus and community organizations partnered with us on our NSW efforts.
Following is a list of our 2017 events and displays:
The weekday events were:
Following is a list of our 2017 events and displays:
The weekday events were:
- Mindful Monday Meditation (9/6)
- Cultural Barriers to Asking for Help (9/7)
- Question Persuade Refer (QPR) Training (9/8)
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Event (9/9)
- The Backpack Display
- Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resource Table
- Change Yo’ Stigma Display
Mindful Monday Meditation: Sponsored by the Counseling Center at Colorado School of Mines, Colorado School of Mines Arthur Lakes Library, and the Organization of Meditators at Mines (OMM), this event was a guided meditation to calm and quiet attendees minds and get the week off to a good start. We took a moment during the guided meditation to honor and remember those who have died by suicide.
Cultural Barriers to Asking for Help: On Tuesday, Mu Pi Chapter hosted a panel discussion on the cultural barriers that may deter an individual from seeking help when they are feeling overwhelmed. The panelists consisted of a variety of undergraduate students, graduates, and a Mines alumnus that is a mental health professional who works with high achieving students. The discussions revolved around the panelists’ experiences with mental health and hesitations to reaching out for help due to familial expectations, expectations of themselves, and cultural expectations. Several students that attended the panel discussion reported that it was extremely impactful and helpful for them to hear that they are not alone in their experiences and personal struggles.
Cultural Barriers to Asking for Help: On Tuesday, Mu Pi Chapter hosted a panel discussion on the cultural barriers that may deter an individual from seeking help when they are feeling overwhelmed. The panelists consisted of a variety of undergraduate students, graduates, and a Mines alumnus that is a mental health professional who works with high achieving students. The discussions revolved around the panelists’ experiences with mental health and hesitations to reaching out for help due to familial expectations, expectations of themselves, and cultural expectations. Several students that attended the panel discussion reported that it was extremely impactful and helpful for them to hear that they are not alone in their experiences and personal struggles.
QPR Training: Funded by Colorado School of Mines Division of Student Life, Mu Pi Chapter organized two QPR trainings on Wednesday. These trainings were offered in the morning and evening to students, faculty and staff. These trainings were presented by the Jefferson Center for Mental Health. The training is an introductory course on how to recognize warning signs, ask Questions appropriately, Persuade individuals to ask for help, and Refer individuals to the appropriate resources. For the evening session, the chapter offered free babysitting services so that people that needed childcare could attend the training.
PTSD Event: National Service Week was the same week as Veterans’ Day and veterans suffer from an extremely high suicide rate. To honor local veterans and bring about awareness of PTSD on campus, Mu Pi Chapter decided to co-host a PTSD awareness event Thursday with the Mines Veteran’s Alliance and Active Minds @ Mines. This was a formal event with a panel of mental health specialists from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The specialists talked to the crowd about the history of PTSD, current understandings, and best ways to assist people who struggle with PTSD symptoms whether or not they served in the military. The aim of the event was to inform participants of PTSD and to decrease the stigma of those who struggle with it.
The Backpack Display: The Backpack Display was on exhibit in the Colorado School of Mines Student Center from Nov. 5th - 18th. The event is a take on Active Minds’ “Send Silence Packing” display. Mu Pi Chapter and Active Minds @ Mines invited the students and faculty to decorate a backpack with words and photos to honor those who died by suicide, share stories of how they’ve been impacted by suicide, or to share inspirational messages.
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resource Table: A resource table was staffed during the day in the Student Center throughout NSW. Awareness ribbons were distributed and the table contained campus, community, and national resource materials that were donated by numerous organizations. Different campus organizations took lead on providing volunteers to staff the table each day alongside APO members. The Rotary Club of Golden was even engaged and sent volunteers to help staff the table one day. Throughout all of our NSW events, we tried to stay cognizant of the fact that these events could be triggering for some people. Therefore, we placed a priority on ensuring all events included participation of someone trained to help provide mental health support if needed. The Jefferson Center for Mental Health staff and one of our advisors (who works in law enforcement and has training and experience with these types of issues) were on hand during the resource table to help provide this support.
PTSD Event: National Service Week was the same week as Veterans’ Day and veterans suffer from an extremely high suicide rate. To honor local veterans and bring about awareness of PTSD on campus, Mu Pi Chapter decided to co-host a PTSD awareness event Thursday with the Mines Veteran’s Alliance and Active Minds @ Mines. This was a formal event with a panel of mental health specialists from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The specialists talked to the crowd about the history of PTSD, current understandings, and best ways to assist people who struggle with PTSD symptoms whether or not they served in the military. The aim of the event was to inform participants of PTSD and to decrease the stigma of those who struggle with it.
The Backpack Display: The Backpack Display was on exhibit in the Colorado School of Mines Student Center from Nov. 5th - 18th. The event is a take on Active Minds’ “Send Silence Packing” display. Mu Pi Chapter and Active Minds @ Mines invited the students and faculty to decorate a backpack with words and photos to honor those who died by suicide, share stories of how they’ve been impacted by suicide, or to share inspirational messages.
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resource Table: A resource table was staffed during the day in the Student Center throughout NSW. Awareness ribbons were distributed and the table contained campus, community, and national resource materials that were donated by numerous organizations. Different campus organizations took lead on providing volunteers to staff the table each day alongside APO members. The Rotary Club of Golden was even engaged and sent volunteers to help staff the table one day. Throughout all of our NSW events, we tried to stay cognizant of the fact that these events could be triggering for some people. Therefore, we placed a priority on ensuring all events included participation of someone trained to help provide mental health support if needed. The Jefferson Center for Mental Health staff and one of our advisors (who works in law enforcement and has training and experience with these types of issues) were on hand during the resource table to help provide this support.
Change Yo’ Stigma: The Change Yo’ Stigma Display was a partnership between Mu Pi Chapter, Colorado School of Mines Arthur Lakes Library, the Counseling Center at Colorado School of Mines, and Colorado School of Mines Greek Life. During Suicide Prevention Day, APO and Greek Life hosted a table where Mines students and faculty were asked to write on a whiteboard a negative stigma they think about themselves. Pictures of participants holding their stigma were then displayed during NSW in the Library. Next to the display we left sticky notes, pens, and instructions for passerby to write positive notes to place on these images. This display promoted discussion about the negative things people tell themselves. The name “Change Yo’ Stigma” was based on the idea that after seeing your negative thought contradicted by your peers, you might change the negative stigma that you associate with yourself.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, support is available 24/7/365:
Colorado Crisis Services call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call 1-800-273-8255
Colorado Crisis Services call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call 1-800-273-8255