Good morning stakeholders, September webinar: What campuses need to know: 9-8-8 one year after implementation Suicides have reached an all-time high in the United States last year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about 50,000 people took their lives in 2022. NAMI reports that 14.1 million US adults experienced serious mental illness in 2021. Nationally, there are approximately 1,100 suicides on college campuses per year and 25% of people know of someone who has died as a result of suicide. In Ohio, and across the country, college students encompass a population that is already considered particularly vulnerable to mental health concerns and more students than ever are utilizing campus mental health services. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students. For this September in observation of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health invites you to join us in creating awareness in your campus-community and to spread the message that suicide is preventable. We recognize that anyone can have suicidal thoughts and that for students, mental health issues can often appear first between the ages of 18 and 24, and mental health challenges can impact the academic performance of these young people. Colleges and the campus-community alike are in a unique position to address suicide prevention. With September being National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline reaching the one-year mark since implementation in July, we wanted to spark a discussion and examine what that the year looked like, and what campuses should know. Since July 2022, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988 has received more than 4 million contacts. Over the course of a year, that's more than 10,000 callers a day. Join the OCPSMH on September 26th, 2023, from 12:00pm-1:00pm EST for a webinar discussion with Doug Jackson, 988 Administrator, Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, for What campuses need to know: 9-8-8 one year after implementation, 988 is the three-digit dialing code connecting people to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and provides free and confidential support with a trained crisis professional. Lifeline counselors have been trained to reduce the stress of challenges, provide emotional support, and serve as a connection to resources and help. College and university professionals continue to acknowledge mental health as a driving concern for students, faculty, and staff. More awareness is needed about 988 and the work to provide a mental health response for every mental health crisis. [A poster of a person Description automatically generated]<https://neomed.zoom.us/webinar/register/7416940989059/WN_lbijNvmTR_yr8gmBOhNGKA> Please click on the image to register! Contact opcsmh@neomed.edu<mailto:opcsmh@neomed.edu> with any questions you may have. Suicide Prevention Resources NEOMED's Coordinating Centers of Excellence Suicide Prevention Resources<https://www.neomed.edu/ccoe/mental-health-resources/suicide-prevention/> Resources - Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (ohiospf.org)<https://www.ohiospf.org/resources/> https://mha.ohio.gov/get-help/prevention-services/suicide-prevention https://suicideprevention.ohio.gov/for-schools/colleges-and-universities https://sprc.org/state/ohio/ Best, Chris Chris Tutino, MPH (he, him, his) Dissemination Coordinator, Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health (OPCSMH) Department of Psychiatry