During the week of September 11, the Hope Squad of Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) and Ivy Tech collaborated in hosting a suicide awareness and prevention education event titled “Hope Week” in the Columbus Learning Center.

According to the website, Hope Squad® is a school-based peer support program that empowers selected students to take action regarding improvements within the school environment. Hope Squad members are trained to recognize if they or their peers are at risk for suicide as well as how to encourage peers to seek help from a trusted adult. To learn more, go to https://hopesquad.com.

Throughout Hope Week, information and training sessions and panel discussions provided information on suicide; recognizing at-risk students displaying signs of suicide; how to offer your friendship to an at-risk student and on the process of properly alerting faculty or staff of students perceived to be at-risk.

Sandra Miles, the dean of students and chief diversity officer in the office of student affairs, shared the following information:

Many IUPUC students have been and are currently affected by suicide in this community. Whether they have considered or made an attempt themselves or they are the survivors of friends or family members who were successful in taking their own lives, it is important that we arm our students with the tools they need to identify warning signs and direct those in need to getting proper care.

We have a goal to recruit a minimum of twenty-student Hope Squad volunteers; recruitment is going on from now through September 30. Furthermore, a number of IUPUC faculty and staff members have volunteered to be advisors. The list of volunteers include:

• Sandra Miles, dean of students and chief diversity officer in the office of student affairs
• Cheryl Warner, associate professor of psychology in the division of science at IUPUC
• Jenny Chandler, director of registrar and scholarships in the office of registrar services at IUPUC
• Bryant Lucas, director of public safety in the office of public safety and security at IUPUC
• Debbie Judge, assistant professor at the IU school of nursing at IUPUC
• Kevin McCracken, associate director for graduate and executive services for the center for business and economic development at IUPUC

Additionally, student volunteers include all members of the newly re-established Psychology Club at IUPUC.