The College of Canyons is hosting various events in May for Mental Health Awareness Month.
The “Shine a Light” event will light up the campus with lanterns for suicide awareness on May 8 and 9, said Larry Schallert, assistant director of COC’s Student Health and Wellness Center.
“We’ll display 1100 lanterns to represent 1100 college students that lose their lives to suicide every year,” Schallert said. “It’s a really striking and moving display.”
The display is set for the Honor Grove.
The college is also offering to host training courses for interested participants.
On May 9, the Suicide Prevention Intervention and Response Training will be held in room EPEK 101 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The session will help participants identify early warning signs of suicide and teach constructive ways to support loved ones or where to locate community resources.
On May 11, the college will also hold a “Mental Health First Aid” all-day course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in room UCEN 258. Participants can learn to identify the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems and will be awarded a certificate by the end of the day.
A Q&A with a psychiatrist will be on May 9 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Canyons Hall 211, and a movie on human trafficking, “Stopping Traffic, a Movie on Human Trafficking,” will be shown on May 16 at 6 p.m.at Hasley Hall Theater.
A “No Drinking and Driving” simulation will be on May 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Atrium, and a “Paws for Awhile” event with therapy dogs on May 16 on Cougar Way is also on the calendar, said Schallert.
The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance) recently released a new report, Recommended Standard Care for People with Suicide Risk: Making Health Care Suicide Safe. This report includes new recommendations on suicide-related standard health care for primary care, behavioral health, and emergency department settings. Around 64 percent of people who attempt suicide visit a doctor in the month before their attempt, according to the report.
