Bluefield State College

The purpose of the Bluefield State College CARES (Creating Awareness Regarding Suicide) Program is to address suicidal ideation on campus and in the community through a comprehensive program of awareness and early intervention.

Located in the southern West Virginia coal fields, Bluefield State College is a commuter school that serves a region replete in suicide risk factors, including substance abuse, gender identity, and mental health disorders. BSC CARES will (A) formalize a suicide-crisis response protocol; (B) broaden awareness of risk factors and behaviors through gatekeeper training, student seminars and publications/advertisements; and (C) expand access to mental health and suicide prevention services and resources. Efforts will extend beyond campus in the form of (D) providing risk factor awareness and response training to public points of contact such as nurses, teachers and foster parents and (E) providing multiple points of access to the local mental services infrastructure. BSC CARES expects to reach 50% of the population at Bluefield State College campus while reaching out to the community at an estimate of 500-1000 individuals per year.