Now What?: Postvention After Student Death Russell C. Aivazian, M.Ed., University of Kentucky Sarah G. Sheldon, M.Ed., University of Kentucky Monday, March 13, 2017 Convention Center, 212AB @raivazian @sarahg731 postventionpresentation@gmail.com

Learning Outcomes As a result of this presentation, participants will: Identify three strategies to respond to student death from the HEMHA “Postvention: A Guide for Response to Suicide on College Campuses” and develop a postvention plan for their areas, Be able to facilitate conversations and processes regarding mental health and suicide response on campus, and Identify two sources of compassion fatigue in self and others, and design personal self-care toolkit to use with peers or self.

Context “Rates of anxiety and depression among American college students have soared in the last decade, and many more students than in the past come to campus already on medication for such illnesses” “Nationally the number of college-student suicides has remained about the same, but it is the second-leading cause of death, after accidents” (Wilson, 2015)

Postvention “Involves a series of planned interventions with those affected by a campus suicide with the intention to facilitate the grieving or adjustment process, stabilize the environment, reduce the risk of negative behaviors, limit the risk of further suicides through contagion” (HEMHA, 2014, p. 6)

Question to Consider How does your department/unit intend to respond to reports of student death? With whom do you have off-campus partnerships? With whom do you need to develop off-campus partnerships? What support resources do you have for students AND staff? What roles will your staff play in response and postvention? What is your communication strategy?

UK Response Plan

Compassion Fatigue “Characterized by deep physical and emotional exhaustion and a pronounced change in the [staff member’s] ability to feel empathy for their [residents], their loved ones and their co-workers. It is marked by increased cynicism at work, a loss of enjoyment of our career, and eventually can transform into depression, secondary traumatic stress and stress-related illnesses” (Mathieu, 2007)

Organizational Strategies Open discussion around compassion fatigue so that it is normalized Supportive culture for debrief and regular one to ones that focus on personal and professional impact of work Encouraging mental health days and reduced work loads Environment of support, affirmation, and recognition Supervisors assessing demands of employees roles and having the ability to recognize emotional distress and burnout

Context We in Student Affairs are particularly guilty of putting our own needs last. Even in the face of crisis, we are so focused on our students, our staff, and our community that we forget to take the proper steps to facilitate our own wellness. “Many things can affect your well being including your current life circumstance, your history, coping style, and personality style” (Mathieu, 2007)

Questions to Consider Is there a balance between nourishing and depleting activities? Do you have access to regular exercise, hobbies, or personal debriefing? Are you exhausted because you have no more to give? What stress reduction or stress resiliency strategies are you utilizing?

Self-Care Toolkit

Contact postventionpresentation@gmail.com Russell C. Aivazian, M.Ed. Resident Director Woodland Glen III – North russell.aivazian@uky.edu Sarah G. Sheldon, M.Ed. Woodland Glen V sarah.sheldon@uky.edu

Compassion Fatigue Higher Education Mental Health Alliance. Postvention Guide: A Guide to Response to Suicide on College Campuses. http://hemha.org/postvention_guide.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2016. JED Foundation. http://jedfoundation.org/professionals/comprehensive-approach Mathieu, F. (2007). Running on Empty: Compassion Fatigue in Health Professionals. Rehab & Community Care Medicine. Wilson, R. (2015). An Epidemic of Anguish: Overwhelmed by demand for mental-health care, colleges face conflicts in choosing how to respond. In “Today’s Anguished Students--and How to Help Them” The Chronicle of Higher Education (Fall 2015). http://chronicle.com/article/Todays-Anguished/233171. Accessed July 6, 2016.

Thank you for joining us today! Please remember to complete your customized online evaluation following the conference. See you in Philly in 2018!