VCOM Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Program - Abstract Plain language summary – The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine will implement intensive training in suicide prevention and mental wellness across its four-campus system and incorporate MindfulMEDS, a customized mental health and wellness app, to connect students to screening tools, educational programs, community resources, and crisis response support to combat depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation experienced by med students. Project name – VCOM Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Program Population to be served - The proposed multi-platform, multi-disciplinary program will target all medical students enrolled at The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM). VCOM is a financially stable, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) educational institution whose mission is to prepare globally-minded, community-focused physicians to meet the needs of rural and medically underserved areas of populations. VCOM graduates over 500 physicians annually and is an established national leader in the education of primary care physicians (58% of all graduates) with 50% of graduates practicing in rural and medically underserved communities. There are four VCOM campuses located across the Appalachian and Delta Regions in Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Louisiana. Eighty-four percent of VCOM students are from Appalachian and Delta region states, and 47% of VCOM students come from communities with a population size of less than 30,000. VCOM students are more likely female (55%) compared to male (45%); have a mean age of 24-26 years; and are about 67% white, 19% Asian, and 14% underrepresented minority. Strategies/interventions – This grant will further build and enhance the network of counseling resources provided to VCOM students and implement the MindfulMEDS mental health and wellness screening app and educational programming across all four VCOM campus locations. Project goals and measurable activities – Project goals include: (1) Enhance mental health services for all VCOM students across all 4 campuses; (2) Increase awareness and education about mental health and substance use disorders, and promote help-seeking behavior among the student body; (3) Improve the identification and treatment of at-risk VCOM students so that they can successfully complete their medical education; and (4) Reduce access to lethal means among students with identified suicide risk. Measurable activities towards the accomplishment of these goals include: Objective 1 – Develop multi-disciplinary care teams comprised of mental health counselors, student services, academic advisors, facilities as appropriate, faculty members, and administration. Objective 2 – Design and implement educational modules in the MindfulMeds App and Beyond the Medicine series to promote life skills, resiliency, and social connectedness. Objective 3.a – Provide specific training to care teams in terms of crisis intervention and suicide prevention, including lethal means counseling, QPR, de-escalation, referral process, screening, legal considerations, and motivational interviewing strategies, among others. Objective 3.b – Provide specific training for students in suicide prevention. Objective 3.c – Encourage and promote the use of MindfulMeds app and screening tools for suicidality, depression, and substance abuse among VCOM students. Objective 4 – Develop crisis response protocols for care teams, to include linkages with outside mental health and community resources. Number of people to be served: annually – approximately 2,260; during project lifetime – approximately 6,780
