Saturday, November 23, 2024
11/23/2024
The INTERcontigo project of the Aguadilla Campus at Inter American University of Puerto Rico (IAUPR) will develop a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention that will serve all students on campus and focus on the undergraduate student population between 18-34 years of age and of Hispanic/Latino descent. IAUPR is a private, nonprofit, four-year Hispanic serving institution located in NW Puerto Rico. Total enrollment during the 2019-2020 academic term was 4,003 (3,806 undergraduates and 124 Veterans) with 99.8% Hispanic, 87% Pell-grant recipients. Student wellbeing must be understood within the context of traumatic stress related catastrophes including hurricanes, earthquakes and the present day COVID-19 pandemic. Available data suggests that our students are seriously thinking about suicide and have made suicide attempts and, in the fall of 2019, one student died by suicide. To mitigate the state of mental health on campus, the program will center around following goals and objectives: (G1) To improve the suicide preparedness infrastructure on campus in order to prevent and respond to student suicide, Obj. 1a. Establish the Office of Suicide Prevention and Education Obj. 1b. Create a network infrastructure (G2) To train faculty, staff, and students to identify and respond effectively to students with mental health and substance use disorders using evidence-based training. Obj. 2a. Certified 12 faculty and staff as QPR Gatekeeper Trainers. Obj. 2b. Certify 12 faculty and staff as QPR Gatekeeper Trainers. Obj. 2c. Train 100% of faculty, staff, and student leaders to identify students who show warning signs of suicide using QPR, gatekeeper training. Obj. 2d. Train 100% of administrative leaders, university mental health professionals, field education students placed in university training centers and clinics to administer the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale C-SSRS to screen students at risk of suicide. (G3) To increase student access to mental health care and substance use related services on campus. Obj. 3a. Provide coordinated case management, one-on-one counseling to at least 500 students from February 2022 to September 2024. Obj. 3b. Facilitate at least two (2) monthly student support groups per semester beginning in February 2022 and reaching at least 400 students each by September 2024. (G4) To increase help-seeking behaviors and reduce the stigma of mental health and substance use disorders by increasing access to information. Obj. 4a. Develop a campus suicide prevention and wellness website with up-to-date mental health information, campus mental health appointment links, emergency contacts, & resources by May 2022 and reach 2,500 students by September 2024. Obj. 4b. To administer at least 400 voluntary mental and substance use disorder screenings and assessments through online mental health screenings by September 2024. Obj. 4c. Educate and disseminate informational materials to students, families, faculty, and staff to increase awareness of mental and substance use disorders through a campus-wide mental health social messaging campaign that will reach at least 2,500 students and 200 veteran students by September 2024. Obj. 4d. To conduct outreach services to at least 1,500 students about available mental and substance use disorder services through open houses, psychoeducation workshops, and mental health fairs from August 2022 - September 2024. The project will target 2,500 students annually and 5,000 throughout the lifetime of the project.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
