UW-Madison students often look to faculty or staff for support when they are struggling. You do not need to be an expert or mental health professional to notice the warning signs of a mental health crisis and act. Recognize, Respond, Refer: Suicide Prevention Training for Faculty and Staff provides a guide for having conversations and can also increase your confidence in talking with students about mental health and suicide.

The training contains 5 modules:

• Foundations explains the role of faculty and staff in preventing suicide and includes data on mental health concerns among UW students.
• Recognize focuses on how staff and faculty can observe behavioral changes in students who may be experiencing mental distress.
• Respond reviews strategies for checking in with students and using active listening when engaging in a conversation about suicide.
• Refer assists with decision making on how to best respect a student’s decision on next steps, while also considering the urgency of the situation.
• Re-Engage focuses on following up and supporting students beyond a single interaction.

This training is not a form of counseling or crisis support. Instead, it prepares faculty and staff to be better able to support students in the future. For immediate support, call the UHS crisis line at 608-265-5600 (option 9) or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

This training is self-paced. Faculty and staff can start and stop and revisit at any time. It will take about an hour to review all content, depending on how much time you spend in each module.If you manage or supervise employees, incentivize their participation by encouraging them to complete during work hours.

Suicide Prevention Training for UW-Madison Students remains available through Canvas. Questions should be directed to suicideprevention@uhs.wisc.edu