1. Caring for your Community After the Death of a Student
Peter Fowler, Wentworth Institute of Technology Jenn Kosses, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Tuesday, March 6, Convention Center, ROOM 117

2. JED Foundation Partnered with JED Foundation in 2015
Focus on mental health as a campus priority
Conducted self-assessment
Developed strategic plan for mental health
Recommendation to develop postvention protocol

3. psychological support, crisis intervention, and other forms of appropriate assistance to those affected by suicide.
Source: A Guide to Postvention, Higher Education Mental Health Alliance

4. Goals of Postvention
Help those impacted deal with the current trauma and grief
Stabilize campus community
Prevent (or limit the risk of) other suicides
Help individuals solve problems to encourage independent functioning
Facilitate understanding and help the campus heal
Avoid institutionalizing grief
Allow current postvention efforts to inform improvements

5. Immediate Response
Public Safety responds to scene and contacts Boston Police Department
Student Affairs staff gather in nearby office
Student Affairs begins to assist impacted students
Res Life staff on duty immediately removed from duty

6. Immediate Response Begin immediate notifications
President’s Advisory Council
Behavioral Intervention Team
Psychological First Aid Team
Communications/Public Relations Director
Initiate Postvention Checklist

8. Notifications
Attain permission from family to send message to campus community
Monitoring social media
Begin notifications in person or over the phone
Roommates (and their family/parents for additional support)
Significant other
Close friends
Students from hometown/high school
Department Chair and Registrar
Professors – current and former (when possible)
Staff – work-study supervisors, RD, coaches, Coop Advisor, etc.
Other individuals identified by the above as needing outreach

9. how might your campus culture impact how you respond to the death of a student?

10. After Campus Announcement
Grief counseling sessions for students
Grief counseling sessions for staff
Center for Wellness walk-in hours
Outreach to students of concern (contagion effect)
Classroom visits
Greater presence in residence halls/campus center

11. Continued Outreach Checking in with impacted students
Students may choose to go home for a few days
Was this student part of a group project
Rescheduling exams, projects
Moving students to a new housing assignment
Checking in with impacted faculty/staff
Keep staff in mind during next incident

12. Continued Outreach
Relevant campus programming – campus memorials, suicide prevention programs
Maintaining communication with family as they need
Laptop
Picking up belongings
Sharing information on services

13. Lessons Learned
Consider all relationships a student may have on campus (work study)
Calling families of roommates/close friends is helpful
Consider what information you want immediate access to (high school)
Need one (or two) person(s) to manage the protocol & checklist
Determine ahead of time if/how you will share information without confirmation from family of local authorities
Timing is everything…

14. Things to Consider Who comes to campus?
How can you contact faculty over the weekend?
If applicable, how will you recognize student at commencement?
Permanent relocation of on-campus residents to new space
Temporary housing of off-campus students
Managing family visit to campus (space, friends)
How will you handle reports (true and untrue) on social media

15. Thank you for joining us today!
Please remember to complete your online evaluation following the conference.
See you in Los Angeles in 2019!