Your Voice Your Power

A Postvention Guide for Student-Led Responses

Please be advised that due to the nature of the topic, this guide discusses methods of suicide.

This resource will help college student leaders:  Evaluate their current “leave of” and “return from” absence policies. Identify areas for improvement in existing policies and draft proposals for revisions. Create an advocacy action plan for campus policy change using allies and stories from students who have been affected by current leave of absence policies. Why Leave of Absence Policies? Colleges and universities are held liable under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a federal law that prohibits discrimination against students whose mental health conditions “substantially limit a major life activity,” including learning. Under the ADA, institutions must ensure that students are not unfairly discriminated against and receive “reasonable accommodations” to allow them to continue and succeed in higher education. Some colleges and universities are now starting to pay more attention to leave of absence policies. Students may seek a leave of absence for various reasons, including financial hardship, academic performance, family emergencies, personal circumstances, or mental health challenges. This guide will help you make the case to modify leave of absence policies to be easily accessible, non-punitive and specific so that students can take the time they need without fear of retribution or discrimination, especially those looking to take a leave of absence for mental health challenges.

Your student ID card is more than just plastic—it’s a key to campus life, unlocking doors, meals, and library books. But what if it could do even more? What if it could help save lives? In 2012, students from Active Minds started a movement to add crisis lines to student IDs. At the University of Dayton, Abby de la Rosa and Sarah Liming were the first to successfully petition their school to print a crisis line on every ID, impacting over 10,000 students. Their work helped inspire California Senate Bill 972, requiring all schools in the state to follow suit. Today, the movement continues—and your school could be next to make a difference. Why Student IDs? According to the National Institute on Mental Health, young adults aged 18-25 have the highest prevalence of any mental illness (36.2%) compared to older adults. We cannot always predict when a mental health crisis might occur. If someone is in need of help, they should only need to look as far as their student ID to find the support they need. Most student ID cards already contain phone numbers for campus safety and other campus resources. So, why not add information to help students in a mental health crisis? Campuses across the country have already added resources like the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or 988, Crisis Text Line, or their campus counseling center’s crisis number to their student IDs. Your school could do the same. ID Campaign Numbers Crisis lines are phone numbers you can call to receive immediate emergency crisis counseling. Below, you will find tips to help you decide which number is most suitable for your campus. Characteristics to Consider: Availability: The service that students reach should be open and available 24/7. You don’t want someone in crisis to get a voicemail. Proximity: The more local the crisis line, the better the connection that can be made to local services. Reputability: Students should be reaching a rigorously trained crisis responder. Format: Would students be more likely to call or text in a crisis situation?

Advocate for mental health funding at your institution This guide will help college student leaders: Evaluate your institution’s current student fees and identify gaps in mental health funding. Explore options for adjusting fees and drafting proposals to fund campus mental health programs and services. Make a compelling case to campus decision makers using research and statistics.

A framework for understanding how mental health & well-being interconnect