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Programming and Outreach

Workshops and educational outreach top
University Counseling Services provides various workshops, programs and screenings to the campus community throughout the year. We plan these programs based on need and events occurring that may affect the campus community. We attempt to provide students, faculty and staff with up-to-date outreach events that attend to these needs. Please contact the office if you are interested in any outreach activities.

Screenings top
At various points throughout the semester, University Counseling Services provides screenings to the SCSU community. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to take part in these screenings. The screenings are free and confidential. Based on the assessment instrument scores, a counselor may make a suggestion for a referral to University Counseling Services, a community agency or a private practice. Some students are referred to Spectrum Psychiatric Services, which is an outside agency that we work closely with in referring students.

Suicide Prevention Program top
University Counseling Services implemented a comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program on campus in fall of 2003 . The center staff is available to train the campus community about suicide signs, symptoms and interventions. The training and program is designed from a national model called QPR - Question, Persuade, Refer.
By attending a two-hour training session participants will;
1. Be educated about suicide prevention strategies currently available.
2. Increase their comfort level in assisting students, faculty and staff to appropriate mental health resources either on or off campus.
3. Be familiarized with the epidemiology of suicide in America, common risk factors and available statistical information, which best describes the prevalence of suicide in America and those populations most at risk.
4. Be able to abate potential crisis situations by utilizing effective skills learned in the training.
5. Be able to manage difficult scenarios in classrooms, on campus, or in residence halls with affected persons with an easy to follow, step by step procedure.
This program is offered each semester and is part of the outreach that University Counseling Services provides on a regular basis. Therefore, the long-term benefits of this one time training will be ten-fold.
If you have any questions about this program or would like to set up a training for your department, colleagues, student group, classroom or residence hall, please contact University Counseling Services at 392-5475.

Ulifeline.org top
Southern Connecticut State University is one of over 300 colleges and universities in the country linked with ulifeline.org. On this site students log in and are able to download information about various mental illnesses, ask questions, make appointments, and seek help anonymously via the Internet, a medium they are comfortable using.

We encourage students to utilize this site if they have any questions about mental health issues. It directly links to SCSU's counseling site (this site) if students want to make an appointment with us.

Suicide Self-Help page provides information about suicide signs, symptoms and prevention.

Safe Zone/Beyond Tolerance Programs top

Safe Zone
Safe Zones is a program run by Counseling Services that aims at combating homophobia on Southern's campus. This training allows faculty and staff to explore their own feelings around homophobia and challenges them to think critically around the myths and misperceptions that perpetuate discrimination and hate crimes on college campuses. This training also provides participants with the tools they need to become allies to students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Once training is complete, participants are presented with a SAFE ZONE symbol they can display in their work environment/residence hall. This symbol represents support and understanding of the issues that affect gay students on campus and that the person displaying the symbol can be a resource for students in need of advice or someone to talk to.

Beyond Tolerance
Beyond Tolerance is a program offered to students at various times throughout the semester in the residence halls that focuses on homophobia and how it manifests itself on a college campus. This program is a student oriented extension of the Safe Zone program for faculty and staff. This program allows students to dialog about what it means to be gay, and to explore their own beliefs around homophobia.

**Faculty and staff should contact Counseling Services if they wish to have either program in their department, classroom or residence hall.**
The goals for both programs are the same:
1. To assess our own feelings about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues and homophobia. (Awareness)
2. To increase our knowledge and understanding about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues and homophobia. (Knowledge)
3. To develop action plans on how to improve the environment of SCSU for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender staff and students. (Skills and Action)
Our goal in University Counseling Services is to provide education, awareness and support for students who are gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual. In so doing, we hope to create a climate on Southern's campus that allows students to feel safe to organize and express their individuality in different ways.