Counselors host Meet and Greet for Suicide Prevention Month
HFC counselors Deb Gates and Dr. Gwendolyn Pringle will host a “Counselor Meet and Greet for Suicide Prevention Month” on Tuesday, September 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the atrium of the John McDonald Student & Culinary Arts Center (Building M) on the main campus.
“This is the first time we’ve done a meet and greet with students and can show our visibility as counselors because we’re mostly working in our office,” said Gates. “I’m excited to be able to meet students and have them put faces to names in the Counseling Office. We want to make them feel comfortable knowing who we are and that we’re here for them.”
Gates and Pringle specialize in stress management, career counseling, and personal growth. Gates specializes in grief and loss counseling. Pringle specializes in relationship counseling, personal growth, and life transitions.
“We will talk with the students, promote the counseling services at HFC, as well as speak about Suicide Prevention Month and 988 awareness,” said Pringle.
September is Suicide Prevention Month
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Its purpose is to raise awareness and discuss the highly stigmatized topic of suicide. Along with shifting public perception, the National Alliance on Mental Illness wants to spread vital information to people impacted by suicide. Its goal is ensuring that individuals, friends, and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help.
Suicidal thoughts, much like many mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of their age, gender, or background. In fact, suicide can be the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered healthy and often indicate more serious issues.
“Our mental health and wellness is just as vital as our physical health and wellness,” said Gates.
Help is available
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) was established in 2005. It is a suicide prevention network with more than 200 crisis centers throughout the United States that provides a 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the telephone number 988. This hotline is available to anyone experiencing a crisis or emotional distress. The call is routed to the nearest crisis center for you to receive immediate counseling and local mental health referrals. The Lifeline supports people who call for their own suicide crisis or for someone they care about. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255).
If you are uncomfortable speaking to someone over the phone, you can use the online chat. You can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
“We want students to realize they are not alone,” said Gates. “We want to help them know about this national number for them to call at any time, and we want them to know about our services here at the College. We are here to help.”
If you wish to make an appointment with a licensed professional counselor at HFC, or if you have any questions about this event, contact 313-845-9611 or counseling@hfcc.edu.