REACH

29,000+ REACH© Gatekeepers Trained

Suicide prevention is a shared campus responsibility.
Join the REACH movement! Save a life!

Anyone can help prevent suicide by learning the risks, warning signs, and how to intervene. REACH is the name of the OSU suicide prevention in-person gatekeeper training program designed to help the OSU community prevent suicide by teaching faculty, staff, and students how to:

Recognize warning signs
Engage with empathy
Ask directly about suicide
Communicate hope
Help suicidal individuals access care and treatment

OSUSPP only offers in-person REACH trainings to university and student affiliated organizations, departments, colleges, and programs.  Participants who finish the training receive certificates and pins verifying their completion of the program.

About REACH

REACH suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings (Open and Group) are intended to provide general information about how to identify suicide risk and how to respond to any OSU student, staff, or faculty member who may be experiencing distress. REACH is not a clinical mental health training; it does not teach suicide assessment or intervention strategies, nor is it a comprehensive training on suicide risk. Rather, it is designed to empower anyone to learn these skills, and especially individuals who are not licensed mental health professionals. The 90-minute training experience aims to increase knowledge and awareness of suicide risk and to inform attendees of our campus community resources. REACH is aligned with national standards, best practices, and recommendations for suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings. As such, the training contains suicide statistics, stories surrounding suicide, and interactive role plays to help attendees better understand and engage with the material.

Important Note: While we believe in the effectiveness of anyone attending a REACH training, we also recognize that it contains complex and sensitive material. As a result, it is possible that participants could experience a variety of mental and emotional reactions. This should be taken into consideration before attending a training. As a general best practice for the well-being of our Buckeye community, OSUSPP does not recommend that students, staff, or faculty mandate REACH training attendance.

History and Development of REACH 

In 2004, the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, named after Senator Gordon Smith’s son who died by suicide, became the first national youth suicide prevention grant, authorizing $82 million over three years. The Act recognized youth suicide as a public health crisis linked to mental health issues. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Center for Mental Health Service (CMHS) were tasked with organizing the funds into programs, from which they formed the State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention Grant Program and the Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program. Ohio State University received funding through the latter in 2006 to support comprehensive suicide prevention efforts on campus. One of the goals of the program was the development of suicide prevention gatekeeper training. This training was to be based on emerging best-practices that increase knowledge of suicide risk factors, imminent warning signs, prevention strategies, and referral resources. 

In 2013, OSU shifted from the Question, Persuade, and Respond (QPR) gatekeeper training to its very own REACH© Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training, which introduced a peer-to-peer education model. Since then, over 29,000 individuals have been trained as REACH© Gatekeepers, and numerous partnerships have been formed across OSU’s campuses— including with the Graduate School and Military and Veterans Services— as well as with the local community and colleges and universities nationwide. 

More information about the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act. 

What is the Difference Between an Open and Group REACH Training?

• For Open REACH Trainings all participants must be pre-registered in order to attend. Trainings are scheduled separately for undergraduate students and staff, faculty, graduate and professional students. Please choose the correct training based on your status. Approximately one week prior to your date you will receive a reminder email and information about the exact location of your training.
• For Group REACH Trainings the requestors are responsible for choosing the date (a minimum of 3 weeks out), time, and location (by reserving a training space of their choosing) of the training. OSUSPP will then match a trainer based on trainer availability. Trainings only take place in a space on an OSU campus (this includes sorority and fraternity houses). A computer, screen, and projector must also be available to the trainer(s). Group trainings require a minimum of at least 3 participants, but larger groups promote more interaction and skill building opportunities. To promote the best interactive and supportive training experience, OSUSPP recommends that groups do not exceed 50 participants.