Higher Education Suicide Prevention Conference

Two members of the Executive Team at Mountain Gateway Community College, Suzanne H. Ostling, MA, LPC, and Matthew S. McGraw, Ph.D., gave a joint presentation titled “Improving Threat Assessment Team Responses to Mental Health” at a conference for the Higher Education Suicide Prevention Coalition (HESPC) held May 19-20 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, PA.

Ostling and McGraw discussed the construct and rationale behind the MGCC Threat Assessment Team, and the importance of the members that comprise the team. “We discussed outcomes that were successful and also those that were not so successful,” said Ostling. “We discussed how critical it is to offer mental health resources for those in need and to keep a close watch on those that may require additional assistance.”

The HESPC is a is a collaborative organization with the united goal of developing and implementing strategies to reduce suicides on college campuses and improve the overall wellness of students. Ostling serves as Director of Student Services and McGraw is Associate Vice President, both at MGCC (formerly Dabney S. Lancaster Community College.)