TCU was awarded a $243,982 grant to extend the suicide prevention initiative on campus by U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.

The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Campus Suicide Prevention Grant will support the counseling center’s HOPE Initiative by trying to prevent suicide with mental health screenings, outreach, integrated clinical care and marketing.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, according to the press release. Five TCU students have commited suicide in the last two years. 

“We envision a campus where students are willing and know how to seek help for themselves and others and where everyone knows how to reach out to someone in distress,” said Linda Wolszon, the director of TCU’s Counseling, Testing and Mental Health Center.  

Since October is National Depression Awareness Month, HOPE will conduct free depression screenings on campus and raise awareness through social media and HOPE’s website.

HOPE Initiative’s goal is to reach all members of the community through suicide awareness and prevention by a Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) training program, according to the press release. Last year, TCU HOPE Initiative trained more than 700 individuals on campus to use QPR prevention training.