Suspenders4Hope

Can a shirt save a life?

With a little help from you, we think it can. The #WeSupportU Suspenders4Hope comprehensive approach can help create positive change in our community regarding mental health and suicide prevention.

Show Your Support with a Suspenders4Hope Shirt

Take the #WeSupportU suicide prevention training to get your Suspenders4Hope Shirt and start a conversation about mental health. Increase awareness, reduce stigma, and visibly support mental health in your community.

Then, make a change in your own actions by:

• Challenging the stigma you may hold about mental health
• Being mindful of stigmatizing language (that’s so crazy!, she’s so bipolar, I am totally OCD)
• Keeping an eye out for friend’s behavior changing significantly

Building a Community of Support

If you are concerned about someone around you, just remember to Share, Ask, Support.

Share

Share your concern with them by reaching out, whether that be in person, calling or messaging. Hearing you care is often the first step in sharing hope.

Ask

Ask directly about how they’re feeling, including if they’re struggling with thoughts of suicide. Asking cannot put the idea of suicide into someone’s head and again shows that someone cares.

Support

After asking, listen non-judgmentally. Help find resources available in your area, then offer to connect them to necessary services. Continue to support by checking back in.

#WeSupportU Preventing Suicide Training

To learn more, please consider taking our #WeSupportU Preventing Suicide training.

• Created by licensed psychologists
• Evidence-based training
• Self-paced, 60 minutes online training
• Learn the Share, Ask, Support method to help someone in need

Any questions? Contact counseling [at] alexblog.net (counseling[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu). 

Become a #WeSupportU Faculty/Staff Mental Health Advocate

• Complete the #WeSupportU online suicide prevention training.
• Once you complete the training, contact us at counseling [at] alexblog.net (subject: Completed%20%23WeSupportU%20training%20%7C%20Free%20t-shirt%20request) (counseling[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu) for your free t-shirt and wear it.
• Faculty, encourage students to take the training by offering class time or extra credit.
• Model vulnerability by talking about mental health openly and directly to let students know it’s ok to not be ok.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and encourage students to follow for information on Counseling Services events, tips on how to manage mental health and inspirational messages.
• Check in with your students and encourage them to check in with each other. If a student is in distress, refer them to NWU Counseling Services or submit a concern to Care Connect.

Faculty: Order classroom #WeSupportU cards 

Order our #WeSupportU Mental Wellness in the Classroom cards. These cards are easy to incorporate into your curriculum. With over 30 cards of unique mental wellness activities, it's the perfect way to infuse wellness into your class.

Request your free set of cards at counseling [at] alexblog.net (subject: Request%3A%20Mental%20Wellness%20in%20the%20Classroom%20cards) (counseling[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu).

About #WeSupportU

#WeSupportU started at Wichita State University in 2015 when WSU counseling services was awarded the SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention grant in order to develop a local suicide prevention program. From that grant, was born the #WeSupportU Suspenders4Hope campaign and Preventing Suicide Training, which was WSU’s promise to support their students’ mental well-being. Nebraska Wesleyan University has implemented the #WeSupportU program on our campus in an ongoing effort to support mental health wellness, suicide prevention, and reducing the stigma attached to seeking mental health treatment.