About 16.6 million American adults and teens reported having serious thoughts of suicide in 2022, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Dr. Kurt Michael
A new emergency preparedness guidebook released by the Jed Foundation provides best practices to off-campus student housing managers on how to handle the sudden and tragic loss of a resident in a community.
“Responding to a Suicide: Postvention Guidance for Student Housing Managers” provides essential support to communities in the wake of a tragedy, said Michael, noting that the guidebook provides proactive measures to prevent further loss of life to suicide. It offers evidence-based guidelines and protocols on how to: engage with law enforcement, communicate with campus officials and the residential community, facilitate rapid support, memorialize the deceased, and plan for long-term and future approaches to prevention and postvention.
The Jed Foundation — in partnership with the College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition and Hi, How Are You Project (HHAYP) — aims to prepare young people for the unexpected circumstance when a life is lost, while increasing awareness of warning signs, normalizing help-seeking behaviors, and disseminating life-saving resources.
