Two years into a three-year suicide prevention grant, Donnelly College’s Counseling Center is making major strides. Thanks to the Garrett Lee Smith grant awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Counseling Center Director Diana Camden, MS, LPC, provides many opportunities for students, faculty and staff to be involved in the prevention process.
Camden works to ensure resources like QPR (question, persuade, refer) training are available to as many people in the Donnelly community as possible. By serving as “gatekeepers,” those who have taken the free QPR course are prepared to identify risks and to proceed in a helpful, safe manner.
“It’s kind of like CPR where you learn the skills, and you see someone who’s in need who is exhibiting behaviors that could be leading to suicide,” Camden says. “You learn how to get them help.”
In addition to providing suicide prevention resources, Camden also serves as a counselor available to students, faculty and staff free of charge. While much of her time is spent talking to students one-on-one, she also makes classroom visits to help students understand her work and the services she provides.
“I like going to the classroom visits because I can explain to students that you don’t have to have a mental illness to come see me,” she emphasizes. “Being in college is stressful — you’re meeting new people, you’re probably living away from home for the first time, [you have] lots of classes... It’s a good way to talk to someone who’s nonjudgmental who can talk you through those problems.”
Going forward, Camden says she hopes to grow the Counseling Center, creating sustainable programming, bringing more people on campus to be involved in the efforts and finding an intern to serve as her counterpart for this spring.
“When I first started, many were not aware of where I was or what I did,” she notes. And since she is a proponent of the concept that wellness encompasses the body and the mind, she will work to break down the stigma associated with mental health practices while providing a much-needed resource to the Donnelly campus.
Camden works to ensure resources like QPR (question, persuade, refer) training are available to as many people in the Donnelly community as possible. By serving as “gatekeepers,” those who have taken the free QPR course are prepared to identify risks and to proceed in a helpful, safe manner.
“It’s kind of like CPR where you learn the skills, and you see someone who’s in need who is exhibiting behaviors that could be leading to suicide,” Camden says. “You learn how to get them help.”
In addition to providing suicide prevention resources, Camden also serves as a counselor available to students, faculty and staff free of charge. While much of her time is spent talking to students one-on-one, she also makes classroom visits to help students understand her work and the services she provides.
“I like going to the classroom visits because I can explain to students that you don’t have to have a mental illness to come see me,” she emphasizes. “Being in college is stressful — you’re meeting new people, you’re probably living away from home for the first time, [you have] lots of classes... It’s a good way to talk to someone who’s nonjudgmental who can talk you through those problems.”
Going forward, Camden says she hopes to grow the Counseling Center, creating sustainable programming, bringing more people on campus to be involved in the efforts and finding an intern to serve as her counterpart for this spring.
“When I first started, many were not aware of where I was or what I did,” she notes. And since she is a proponent of the concept that wellness encompasses the body and the mind, she will work to break down the stigma associated with mental health practices while providing a much-needed resource to the Donnelly campus.