In an effort to expand suicide prevention efforts in the local community and beyond, Binghamton University and the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Greater Binghamton Health Center are teaming up to provide and expand mental health education in Binghamton.

Initially announced in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, the partnership will provide educational programming on suicide prevention to any individuals affiliated with the University or the Greater Binghamton Health Center. In addition, the partnership aims to develop resources, such as educational material on suicide prevention for clinicians providing mental health treatment, to people at risk for suicide.

According to Gregory Strauss, assistant professor of psychology, suicide is of considerable public health relevance in the United States, especially among adolescents and young adults. While there have always been efforts to educate people on the subject, he said this will further the initiatives.

“In the greater Binghamton community, separate suicide prevention efforts have been underway at several organizations,” Strauss said. “However, there was little cross-talk or pooling of resources throughout the community.”

Dr. Jennifer Barryman, the chief psychologist at the Greater Binghamton Health Center, collaborated with Strauss to develop strategies for suicide prevention, which is especially pertinent for college students. After much discussion about the suicide prevention efforts at the Greater Binghamton Health Center and the University, they took the initiative to broaden the reach of each institution.

President Harvey Stenger said in a press release that the program could help those suffering outside of the BU community.

“Binghamton University is proud to partner with the Greater Binghamton Health Center to tackle what is a complex and serious issue,” Stenger said. “We hope that this partnership leads to more effective suicide prevention measures and, in the process, helps save lives.”

According to Sean D’Attore, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, students do not always understand the severity of mental illness and how it can hurt other aspects of people’s lives.

“Having more resources for kids on-campus can only help students be academically successful and successful in life,” D’Attore said.

Athletic staff, graduate students, professors and Residential Life staff are invited to attend a meeting with leaders from the Greater Binghamton Health Center each month. The goal of these sessions is to provide information on how to deal with suicide assessment and prevention. They also aim to provide training for students, staff and mental health professionals and to encourage research efforts in the field. According to Strauss, all students interested in suicide prevention are invited to attend meetings as well.

Strauss said this partnership could have a positive effect on the community, as distributing information on where to get help could eventually lead to the destigmatization of mental illnesses.

According to Rebecca Stern-Shock, a sophomore majoring in psychology, mental health on college campuses should be a priority, and the partnership could be especially beneficial to the students who use the counseling center.

“I think college can be incredibly stressful for people,” Stern-Shock said. “It’s a hard transition and can affect people in so many ways.”