UNL trains 1,500 people on suicide prevention, hopes to train more next year

With a staggering statistic surrounding college students and suicide, the University of Nebraska is hoping to change lives.

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death on college campuses. So, our main goal is to just get the word out about it so individuals do know what to look for essentially,” McKenzie Miers said.

Through a training program called REACH, individuals go through a 90 minute course to:

Recognize the warning signs.

Engage with empathy.

Ask directly about suicide.

Communicate hope.

Help suicidal individuals to access care and treatment.

“Simply asking the question, are you thinking about suicide, may really help individuals open up and talk to others about it,” Connie Boehm said. 

A year ago, The University set a goal of getting 1,500 people to complete the course and become gate keepers.

Now, having met that goal, UNL wants to reach even more. Aiming to have 4,000 gatekeepers by next year.

“Anyone can sign up for it. It’s free to anyone on campus. One of my main goals is to just reach out to as many people as I can, as many organizations, classes, departments. We really just want essentially everybody,” Miers said. 

With having more people trained, the program hopes to end the stigma around suicide and provide an open ear for those who need it.

“The number one thing is just making sure they know that they’re heard. That we are there for them, that there is help, we have resources for them. That they’re not alone,” Miers said.