Student Involvement - Suicide Prevention

Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide
Peers Reaching Out
RUOK? Day
Survivors’ Day
Out of the Darkness Walk

Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide

The Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide (BCAS) is a student organization that was formed to educate the campus about mental health issues, the signs of suicide and how to prevent it. The organization was created to:

Remember all those who have died because of suicide in the hopes that others will not take their lives;
Support survivors of suicide so they may heal; and
Provide a way for all those who care to help promote awareness of suicide prevention.
BCAS hosts RUOK? Day, an OSU Signature Event that brings together approximately one thousand individuals to learn about mental health and suicide prevention (see page below for more information!)

Ohio State students are committed to promoting mental health and suicide prevention. No student should feel like they don’t matter, will be labeled “crazy,” or will be punished for getting help.

The only way to fight against the stigma and misinformation about mental health issues is to talk about them openly and honestly.

You too can be an advocate. Join the Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide. Because Buckeyes care.

Watch a past President of Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide in a video interview with The Lantern, OSU’s campus newspaper.

For more information or to join the organization:
Email: bcasosu@gmail.com | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bcasosu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bcasosu | YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BCASatOSU

Peers Reaching Out

Our purpose is to work with The Ohio State University’s Suicide Prevention program to:

(1) educate our student peers on suicide prevention through REACH trainings;

(2) increase awareness and understanding of suicide and its prevention at outreach events; and

(3) advocate for suicide prevention and ending the stigma of mental illness.

For more information about the group, visit our student group home page.

To request a REACH training, complete the training request form.

Watch members of Peers REACHing Out in a video interview with The Lantern, OSU’s campus newspaper.

2017-18 PROs Applications:

Peers REACHing Out (“PROs”) is seeking applicants for the 2017-18 school year.

PROs application_2017

Application deadline: March 10, 2017

Send completed applications to: osusuicideprevention@osu.edu

Peers REACHing Out Fact Sheet:

WHAT IS PEERS REACHING OUT (“PROs”)?

Peers REACHing Out (“PROs”) provides OSU students with an exciting opportunity to be a part of something that really matters. Students selected for this program will have the opportunity to become campus leaders in mental health promotion, and will work as part of a team to develop unique ways to communicate the important messages contained in REACH to fellow students. We are interested in identifying students who want to make a difference and are willing to commit time each week to doing just that.

WHAT WOULD I BE DOING AS PART OF THE PROGRAM?

The PROs will work with the OSU Suicide Prevention program to promote campus education about mental health and suicide prevention. PROs are trained to deliver REACH,

a suicide prevention training that equips OSU students to: Recognize warnings signs of suicide risk, Engage individuals with empathy, Ask directly about suicide, Communicate hope, and Help link individuals to resources. The PROs will also participate in campus advocacy and outreach initiatives.

DO I HAVE TO BE A PSYCHOLOGY OR HEALTH PROFESSIONS MAJOR?

No! PROs include both undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds, career interests, and majors. We value having students who represent a broad range of interests.

HOW MUCH TIME EACH WEEK SHOULD I EXPECT TO COMMIT TO THE PROGRAM?

This may vary depending on each student’s unique situation, but as a rule of thumb we would ask you to commit approximately 4 hours per week (more if you have specific internship requirements that you are fulfilling). This time commitment will allow ample opportunity to be trained in the OSU Suicide Prevention program, gain experience as a student trainer, and participate in other events.

CAN I USE MY TIME TO COMPLETE ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP OR VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS?

We are certainly willing to work with you and your department to identify whether your time dedicated to this program can be used for academic credit or volunteer requirements.

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, JUST ASK!

You can also check us out online at suicideprevention.osu.edu or follow us on Twitter (@OSUREACH)!

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Ohio State University Suicide Prevention Program

Preventing suicide is a shared campus responsibility.

Join the REACH Movement. Save a Life.

#REACH5K

RUOK? Day

A simple conversation can save a life. RUOK? Day is a signature campus-wide outreach initiative to increase awareness among the OSU community about suicide, symptoms of suicide and teach others how to help someone who may be at risk of suicide.

Each March, students and OSU advisors from the Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide organize RUOK? Day as a way to encourage Ohio State students, faculty and staff to think about the people in their lives who may struggle with personal difficulties and take action – simply by starting a conversation.

Attendees to RUOK? Day are provided with resources and opportunities to pledge to ask a friend, coworker or stranger, “Are you okay today?” While some people may be having a great day, there are others who are struggling to overcome the obstacles in life and need help.

Watch the promo video from the 2016 RUOK? Day!

Survivors’ Day

Survivors’ Day is the one day a year when people affected by suicide gather to find comfort and gain understanding as they heal from the affects suicide has had on them and their loved ones.

In November, Ohio State organizes Survivors’ Day in connection with the International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. Students share their stories of hope with each other and the ways they continue to cope with a suicide loss.

Out of the Darkness Walk

Students from the Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide participate in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walk each October. The Foundation is a leader in the fight against suicide and the walk is a way to engage young adults to help make a difference.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 18-24. The campus walk series brings thousands of students across college campuses nationwide together to bring mental health conditions out of the darkness and stop the unneeded loss of life.