Peers Guiding Peers: A
Comprehensive Approach to
Fostering a Healthy Campus
Community
Doug Everhart, Health Educator
Matthew Goodman, Counseling Psychologist
Jennifer Miller, Student Development Educator
What we plan to share today
Our presentation will highlight:
• A bit of our history
• Statistics that shaped our programs
• Our beliefs of the value of mental health related peer
education at UC Riverside
• The various peer education programs that operate at UC
Riverside; a brief overview of the training methods,
program highlights, and structural components of a few
of our peer education programs
• A few examples of campus partnering and collaborating
strategies utilized at UC Riverside
Our campus community changed
• We lost two residence hall students to suicide during the
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2005/2006 school year
We reflected on our work as student affairs professionals
In February of 2006 members of the AVC/DOS and
Counseling Center were asked to look into programming
addressing mental health and suicide awareness at the
University of California, Riverside
We felt strongly that peer education would be a critical
component of our mental health and suicide awareness
efforts
Suicide on campus
Information from Suicide Prevention Resource Center
“Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide in College and University Settings” (October 21, 2004)
• Suicide is the second leading cause of
death for college students- about 1,100
each year
• The overall student suicide rate of
7.5/100,000 is about half the national
suicide rate (15/100,000) for a sample
matched by age, gender and race
• Students 25+ have a significantly higher
risk of suicide than younger students
Suicide on campus – Special populations
Information from Suicide Prevention Resource Center
“Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide in College and University Settings” (October 21, 2004)
• Students with pre-existing mental health
concerns or emerging mental health
concerns
• Commuter Students
• Older Students – especially female
graduate students
• Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender,
Questioning, Intersex
• International Students
The UCR student population
As of Fall, 2006:
• -14,743 undergraduates and 2,083 graduate
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students
-Ethnicity: African American 6.5%,
-Native American 0.3%,
-Chicano and Latino 25%,
-Asian/Asian American 39.0%,
-White/Caucasian 20.8%,
-other ethnic 2.3%,
-unknown/decline-to-state 7.9%.
We pulled together
• Due to our student population and mental health
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and suicide awareness research review, we felt
that peer education was the best way to deliver
a healthy community message
We used the term “mental health awareness”
and later “suicide awareness” because we
wanted the message to be for the UCR
community as a whole, and to stress that our
programming was not simply about prevention
We wanted to break through the “stigmas” of
mental health and suicide awareness by
including peer educators
Why peer education?
• Only 14% of students receive information
on suicide prevention, the least of any
health issue
• Most students receive their health
information from their parents, leaflets,
friends, and magazines, however
– the most trusted & believable sources are
health educators & student health service
medical staff [NCHA 2004]
[Source: NCHA Survey 2004]
Why peer education?
• When asked whom students would turn to
when concerned about substance abuse
issues
– The number one answer has been friends
(about 50%). - UCR Core Alcohol and Drug
Survey 2003, 2005 & 2006
Why peer education?
• “The student’s peer group is the single most
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potent source of influence on growth and
development during the undergraduate
years…student’s values, beliefs, and aspirations
tend to change in the direction of the dominant
values, beliefs, and aspirations of the peer
group” (Astin, 1993, p. 398)”
“The greater the effort and personal investment
a student makes, the greater likelihood of
educational and personal returns on the
investment.” (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991, p.
648)
Students as social agents
• We believe that our students are the best
carriers of our healthy and just community
messages
• UC Riverside has successfully utilized
comprehensive and collaborative peer
education programs to address a wide
variety of mental health, wellness, and
social justice issues
A sampling of our peer education
efforts at UC Riverside
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Academic Advising Peer Mentors
Asian Pacific Islander Peer Mentors
Golden ARCHES Peer Educators
Honors Peer Mentors
Housing Theme Hall Peer Mentors
Learning Center Peer Mentors
Learning Community Peer Mentors
LGBTRC Peer Connections
R.E.A.C.H. Peer Educators
S.O.A.P (Student Organization Advising Peers)
Stress Busters Peer Mentors
And the list is growing…
Peer education programs that were
involved with the mental health initiatives
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Golden ARCHES
Honors Peer Mentors
LGBTRC Peer Connections
R.E.A.C.H. Peer Educators
• All of the peer education programs listed above
were trained to facilitate discussions on the
topics of mental health/suicide awareness in the
winter of 2006
Definitions
Golden ARCHES- A comprehensive population-based model to
address the specific needs of target populations while meeting the
comprehensive needs of the campus on a variety of health and
wellness issues. Established in Spring of 2000
Honors- a one-on-one mentoring program for students who would
like additionally support from the honors program. Established in
1988
Peer Connections- Peer Connections connects lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender students with trained upper-class LGBT
students who are knowledgeable of issues related to coming out
and campus resources. Establish in Fall 2005
R.E.A.C.H.- Reaching for Education, Affirmation, Community and
Harmony. A peer-based programming and mentoring initiative.
Established in Fall of 2005
How we train
• Golden ARCHES
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-”zero week” retreat
-Bacchus and Gamma
-Partners with Counseling Center, LGBTRC, UCRPD and other departments
as needed
Honors
-Spring quarter class and “zero week” retreat
-Honors staff trains the students
R.E.A.C.H.
-Spring welcome meeting and “zero week” retreat
-Partners with UCRPD, Stop the Hate trainers, Student Life, Judicial Affairs
and the Counseling Center
-Follow-up training days monthly
LGBTRC Peer Connections
-”zero week” retreat and follow-up trainings
-Partners with the Counseling Center
Structure
• Golden ARCHES
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Staff Advisor- 4 program clusters with student leads
Based out of the Campus Health Center
48 student volunteers
Students are programmers and mentors
Programming on topics of drugs, alcohol, sexual health, mental health,
etc
• Honors Peer Mentors
-Staff Advisors (2)
-Based out of the honors department
-56 honors student volunteers
-Students are mentors
Structure
• LGBTRC Peer Connections Peer Mentors
-Staff advisor
-Based out of the LGBTRC
-5 student volunteers
-Students are mentors
• R.E.A.C.H. Peer Educators-Staff Advisor-Program Clusters
-Staff Advisor
-Based out of the AVC/Dean of Students Office
-38 student volunteers
-Students are mentors and programmers
-Programming on topics of hazing, hate bias related crimes/incidents,
suicide awareness, sexual violence/violation, and academic integrity
Collaborative partnerships are part
of our structure!
• We survive with collaborative partnerships!
A few examples:
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Athletics
Academic departments
Student Life
Housing
Cultural and gender based programming offices
Center for Ideas and Society
Learning communities
Collaborative mental health and
suicide awareness initiatives
• Campus-wide initiatives-”Hazing Awareness Week,”
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“Mental Health Awareness Week,” “Nutrition and Fitness
Week,” “Alcohol Awareness Month” and “Stop the Hate
Week”
Passive components
Educational speakers
Workshops
Awareness Weeks
Tabling
Funding
Staff support
Two tracks for collaborative mental health
and suicide awareness education-2006
• Track 1: Enhanced training of already
existing peer education programs to
prepare for multiple small group
discussion programs
• Track 2: A large-scale educational
awareness week on the topic of mental
health and suicide awareness
“Mental Health Awareness Week 2006”
Track 1: Small group discussions
Video – “The Truth About Suicide:
Real Stories of Depression in
College
•Developed by The American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention
•27 minutes and $19.95
•Facilitator’s manual
•1-888-333-AFSP Ext. 10
•The Golden ARCHES, Honors Peer
Mentors, LGBTRC Connections Peer
Mentors, and R.E.A.C.H. peer educators
were trained to show and facilitate a
discussion on this video
“The Truth about Suicide”
• Talking points for the facilitated discussion:
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-Signs to look for regarding suicide
-How to appropriately approach students that are
exhibiting concerning behavior
-Available resources
Since 2006, the “Helping a Friend in Need: The Truth
about Suicide” workshop was offered to the UCR
community by the R.E.A.C.H. peer educators and the
Counseling Center as part of the “First Year Success
Series” (quarterly) and to student organizations and
housing communities by request.
Track 2: large-scale programming
• Ross Szabo “What Happy Faces are
Hiding”-www.campuspeak.com
• Depression screenings
• Informational tabling
• Passive educational displays
“Be a Lifesaver this Valentines Day
Season” awareness week -2007
“Be a Lifesaver this Valentines Day
Season” 2007
• “My Life as a Suicide Hotline Worker”
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-A UCR Student and R.E.A.C.H. Peer Educator will be sharing her
experience working at the Riverside Area Suicide Hotline.
“The Truth about Suicide”
-The R.E.A.C.H. Peer Educators and Counseling Center will be
showing “The Truth About Suicide” and facilitating a discussion on
how to help a friend in need
Informational tabling and free giveaways
Giveaways included “Lifesaver” resource guides and informational
bookmarks
Educational display with facts and information regarding suicide
awareness
“Lifesaver” informational cards and bookmarks were =delivered to
housing, campus offices and libraries
Student initiated program changes
• Through student feedback and involvement our
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peer education programs have grown and
changed
By weaving emerging student themes into
already existing programs and collaborating with
the appropriate offices and departments, we
have prepared the students involved in the
programs to not only help recognize and address
these issues, but also provide a “peer to peer”
resource that can also act as an effective referral
agent when necessary.
Staff initiated program changes
• Since the summer of 2006, 35 staff members
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who advise and/or supervise peer education
programs at UCR meet quarterly to discuss
emerging trends in regards to peer education
and to swap ideas
Collaborative training, programming, and
support have resulted from the “team peer
educators” meetings
Taking care of our helpers
• One of the key components or expectations of the
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mental health and suicide awareness peer education
programs are that while we highly value the ability of
these students to educate and raise awareness of these
important issues with their peers, we don’t want them
even attempting to act as peer “counselors,” and that
they should look to help make a “connection” and
referral to the appropriate resource if and when
necessary
By having these various offices (Counseling Center, LGBT
Resource Center, UCRPD, etc.) conduct training sessions
throughout the year, the students can also become
familiar and comfortable with the very resources they
can use for referrals
Campus partnering and
collaborating strategies utilized at
UC Riverside
Counseling Center and peer
education @ UCR
One Center’s experience
Counseling Center & peer educator
programs: Collaboration & support
The Counseling Center
@ UC Riverside
Peer Educator Programs
Collaboration between Counseling
Center & peer education programs
• Comfortable balance between strengths and
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differences
Relationship building and “trust” –
Understanding that building relationships take
time and demonstrate an interest in building
those relationships
Empathy - Attempting to understand the
perspective of the other program
Mutual “buy-in” - Agreement about the type of
support
How Counseling Center supports
peer education
• Help in the development of peer education
programs:
– R.E.A.C.H. Suicide Awareness Program
• Help in the training of peer educators
– Beginning Helping Skills: Engage, Explore &
Empower
– Working with Distressed Students
• Resource for peer educator programs
• Consultation for challenging situations
How Peer Education Program
Support the Counseling Center
• Development of Counseling Center peer
educator program
• Help Counseling Center participate in
more preventative or tier 2 & tier 3
services
• Increase our ability to connect with at-risk
students or improve our ability to provide
tier 1 services
• Excitement and enthusiasm of working
with students
For us, collaboration with peer
education is just satisfying
• We like feeling that the services the
Counseling Center provides are connected
to a larger system of services
• We like feeling that the Counseling Center
takes advantage of the different resources
at a university
• We feel energized when getting different
perspectives
• We feel more hopeful when collaborating
Where do we feel that our efforts fit with the
suggestions from the Student Mental Health
Committees Final Report?
• We believe that our collaborative efforts support
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Tiers 2 and 3 of the UCOP Student Mental
Health Committee’s Final Report
Tier 2: Our interventions are targeted with
focuses on prevention, education, and support
Tier 3: We are working as an institution to
create a healthy learning environment. Policy
reviews have accompanied the programming on
topics such as hate bias response, critical
incidents response, and sexual assault response
protocols
Resources
• National Mental Health Association
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– 800-969-NMHA and www.nmha.org
The Jed Foundation
– 212-343-0016 and www.JedFoundation.org
Night Falls Fast – K. Jamison
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention www.afsp.org
American Association of Suicidology www.suicidology.org
National Institute of Mental Health www.nimh.nih.gov
Suicide Prevention Resource Center www.sprc.org
Active Minds www.activeminds.org
Carson J Spencer Foundation www.CarsonJSpencer.org
For more information
• Doug Everhart, Health Educator,
(951) 827-2874, doug.everhart@ucr.edu
• Matthew Goodman, Counseling Psychologist,
(951) 827-5531, mattg@ucr.edu
• Jen Miller, Student Development Educator,
(951) 827-5000, jennifer.miller@ucr.edu