The North Dakota chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has presented the NDSU School of Nursing and the NDSU Counseling Center with 2019 Lifesaver Community Awards. The entities were honored during the annual Out of the Darkness Walk held Sept. 15.

The School of Nursing was acknowledged for such things as implementing a mental health/suicide prevention assignment in their theory class, starting an elective online Contemporary Issues of Mental Health Nursing course, showing the film “It’s Real – College Students and Mental Health,” the NDSU Healthy Herd Champions receiving Talk Saves Lives training and participation in the Snap the Stigma program.

“It has been an honor to provide opportunities for nursing students in suicide prevention,” said Becky McDaniel, assistant professor of practice, who has been involved with the Out of Darkness Walk Committee for the past four years. “The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has provided educational opportunities in the community in which nursing students have participated. As a 1996 graduate of the nursing program at NDSU, I am proud to be a faculty member in this program.

The NDSU Counseling Center, under the direction of psychologist William Burns, was honored for providing Mental Health First Aid training three times each year. To date, more than 1,000 people from the campus community have received the training.

In addition, the center uses the AFSP Interactive Screening Program to assist students. Each year, an estimated 50 to 70 students seek counseling through the program – they may otherwise not reach out for help.

“The NDSU Counseling Center is honored to receive this award from AFSP. We wholeheartedly endorse their goals of suicide prevention and will continue to do all we can to prevent suicides within the NDSU community,” Burns said. “We would also like to thank AFSP for their ongoing support of the center by providing the Interactive Screening Program to the center.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading national not-for-profit organization dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy.

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