September 2013
Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign for Students
Steps You Can Take to Reduce Suicide Risk among Your Friends and Peers
This guide includes the following sections:
• Understand why suicide prevention is important
• Identify warning signs for those who may be at risk for suicide
• Respond to friends or peers who may be at risk for suicide
• Develop your own safety plan
• Consider becoming involved in campus-wide suicide prevention
Understand Why Suicide Prevention Is Important
Suicide touches everyone—all ages and backgrounds, all racial and ethnic groups, in all parts of
the country.
 Suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth aged 15-24 in the United States.
 In recent years more young people have died from suicide than from cancer, heart
disease, HIV/AIDS, congenital birth defects, and diabetes combined.
 For every young person who dies by suicide, between 100-200 attempt suicide.
 Males are four times as likely to die by suicide as females - although females attempt
suicide three times as often as males.
However, there is help and hope when individuals, schools, and communities join forces to
address suicide as a preventable public health problem.
Identify Those Who May Be at Risk for Suicide
Watch for signs of immediate risk for suicide
Warning signs are observable behaviors that may signal the presence of suicidal thinking. They
might be considered cries for help or invitations to intervene. These warning signs signal the
need to ask directly about whether the individual has thoughts of suicide. Asking if a person is
considering suicide will not put new ideas in the person’s head, in fact if they are considering
harming themselves they may be relieved someone has taken an interest in their wellbeing.
Warning signs include the following:
 Suicide threats. It has been estimated that up to 80% of all suicide victims have given
some clues regarding their intentions. Both direct (I want to kill myself) and indirect (I
wish I could fall asleep and never wake up) threats need to be taken seriously.
 Suicide notes and plans. The presence of a suicide note or plan is a very significant sign
of danger.
 Prior suicidal behavior. Prior behavior is a powerful predictor of future behavior and
anyone with a history of suicidal behavior should be taken seriously.
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Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign for Students
Making final arrangements. Making funeral arrangements, writing a will, and/or giving
away prized possessions may be warning signs of impending suicidal behavior.
Preoccupation with death. Excessive talking, drawing, reading, and/or writing about
death may suggest suicidal thinking when this behavior is new or out of character for
the individual.
Changes in behavior, appearance, thoughts, and/or feelings. Depression (especially
when combined with hopelessness), sudden happiness (especially when preceded by
significant depression), a move toward social isolation, giving away personal
possessions, and reduced interest in previously enjoyable activities are among the
changes considered to be suicide warning signs.
The following are also warning signs. The risk of suicide is greater if a behavior is new or has
increased and if it seems related to a painful event, loss, or change.
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or isolating themselves
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
If a student exhibits any of these signs, seek help as soon as possible by calling the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or by referring to the following section
“Take action if you encounter a student who is at immediate risk”.
For a wallet-sized card with suicide warning signs and the toll-free number of the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline, visit the Wellness Center located in Bldg. 46 or print your own at
http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SVP11-0126/SVP11-0126.pdf.
Respond to students who may be at risk for suicide
Take action if you encounter someone who is at immediate risk
Someone is considered at immediate risk if they are:
• Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
• Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or obtaining a gun
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
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Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign for Students
If you believe someone is in crisis or immediate risk of suicide, take action by following these
steps right away:
1. If the individual presents an immediate danger to themselves or others call Campus
Police at 1 (909) 869-3070, or dial 911 if you are off campus.
2. Stay with the person. Do not leave an individual in crisis alone until help has been
contacted and agrees to provide appropriate supervision. If you can, remove any
potential means, such as pills.
3. If you are on campus and the individual does not present an immediate danger to
themselves or others, you can escort them to Counseling Services (Bldg. 66, Rm. 116) or
contact them at 1 (909) 869-3220. They are open Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm, with an
after-hours crisis line. To reach the after-hours crisis line, dial 1 (909) 869-3220 and
press 2 to speak with a Crisis Counselor. Crisis counselors are available during
weekends, holidays, and quarter breaks.
4. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-8255 (TALK) or
offer this as a resource to the individual. This lifeline is free, confidential, and available
24 hours a day/ 7 days a week.
5. For mental health services off-campus, refer students to Tri-City Mental Health Services,
which serves the Pomona, La Verne and Claremont areas. They are located at 2008 N.
Garey Avenue, Pomona CA, 91767. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Wednesday
from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. They can be reached at 1 (909) 623-6131.
Reach out to someone who may be at risk
If an individual does not display signs of immediate risk for suicide but you are concerned about
their wellbeing (as described in the section, “Identify Those Who May Be at Risk for Suicide”),
you can take the following steps.
• Talk to the person directly about suicide in order to assess for risk of suicide or other
forms of self-injury. Asking “Are you thinking about suicide?” will not put the idea into
their head. Knowing the risk factors and warning signs of suicide will help you
determine an immediate threat.
• Listen without judging and show you care. Allow for the discussion of experiences,
thoughts, and feelings. Be prepared for expression of intense feelings. Try to understand
without taking a position about whether or not such behavior is justified.
• Remain calm. Becoming too excited or distressed will communicate that you are not
able to talk about suicide.
• Ask if there is a plan. If the individual mentions a plan, report this plan when contacting
Campus Police or Counseling Services. As long as it does not put you or others in danger,
attempt to remove the means.
• Help the person identify and connect with professionals. Provide contact information
for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1 (800) 273-8255 (TALK), Counseling Services
1 (909) 869-3220, Tri City Mental Health Services 1 (909) 623-6131 or other
professionals who can help.
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Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign for Students
If you are not prepared to have a conversation about your friend or peer’s concerning behavior
or suicide, contact Counseling Services at 1 (909) 869-3220, the National Suicide Prevention
Hotline at 1 (800) 273-8255 (TALK), or someone else you trust, for example a family friend, a
Resident Advisor, a professor, or a member of the clergy.
Develop your own safety plan
Suicidal thoughts can seem like they will last forever – but for many, these thoughts and
feelings pass. Having a plan in place that can help guide you through difficult moments can
make a difference and keep you safe. A plan can be developed with a counselor, therapist, or a
Lifeline counselor who can help you write down actions to take and people to contact in order
to feel safe from suicide.
In general, a safety plan is designed so that you can start at step one and continue through the
steps until you feel safe. You should keep your plan in a place where you can easily access it
(your wallet or cell phone) if you have thoughts of hurting yourself. The following are elements
to explore and include in the development of your safety plan:
1. Recognize warning signs: What sorts of thoughts, images, moods, situations, and behaviors
indicate to you that a crisis may be developing? Write these down in your own words.
2. Use your own coping strategies – without contacting another person: What are some things
that you can do on your own to help you not act on thoughts/urges to harm yourself?
3. Socialize with others who may offer support as well as distraction from the crisis: Make a list
of people (with phone numbers) and social settings that may help take your mind off things.
4. Contact family members or friends who may help to resolve a crisis: Make a list of family
members (with phone numbers) who are supportive and who you feel you can talk to when
under stress.
5. Contact mental health professionals or agencies: List names, numbers and/or locations of
clinicians, local emergency rooms, crisis hotlines – carry the Lifeline number 1-800-273-8255.
Wallet sized cards with this number and the warning signs of suicide are available at the
Wellness Center (Bldg. 46).
6. Ensure your environment is safe: Have you thought of ways in which you might harm
yourself? Work with your counselor to develop a plan to limit your access to these means.
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Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign for Students
Consider becoming involved in campus-wide suicide prevention
Identifying individuals at risk is a crucial part of a comprehensive approach to suicide
prevention. As a member of the Cal Poly Pomona community, you can also be involved in other
aspects of suicide prevention.
The following list outlines other areas you can show your support:
• Campus-wide programs that promote connectedness and emotional well-being
• Postvention programs in the community, such as memorial walks
• Education and training such as Mental Health First Aid. Contact the Wellness Center at
wellnessctr@csupomona.edu for information on workshops and programs offered
regarding mental health services and suicide/depression awareness.
• Student programs, such as Active Minds. Active Minds is a national student
organization that aims to change the conversation about mental health through
education and stigma reduction efforts. Active Minds at Cal Poly Pomona can be
contacted at activemindscpp@gmail.com.
• Skill-building opportunities for individuals at risk. The Wellness Center offers
workshops on Stress Management and other healthy habits of successful students.
Counseling Services offers workshops on communication skills, cultural diversity,
personal growth, and relationship building. The student organization Active Minds
offers workshops on how to encourage help-seeking behavior among peers and how
to talk about mental health challenges.
For more information about Cal Poly Pomona’s suicide prevention efforts contact Kristen Mar
at the Wellness Center, kmar@csupomona.edu.
Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Know the Signs Campaign http://www.suicideispreventable.org/
Suicide Prevention Resource Center http://www.sprc.org
The Trevor Project http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Mental Health.gov http://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Each Mind Matters http://www.eachmindmatters.org/
The information outlined in this document is adapted and redistributed with the permission of
the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, http://www.sprc.org.
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Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign for Students
Cal Poly Pomona’s suicide prevention efforts are supported by a grant from the California Mental Health Services Authority. The
California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) is an organization of county governments working to improve mental
health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. Prevention and Early Intervention programs implemented by
CalMHSA are funded through the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63). Prop 63 provides the funding and
framework needed to expand mental health services to previously underserved populations and all of California’s diverse
communities.
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