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Download the ULM HELPS Brochure

How ULM HELPS began

Funding support for ULM HELPS is provided by a Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Grant administered through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM).

Advancing the promising field of suicide prevention

SAMHSA grantees are pioneers in the relatively new field of suicide prevention: experimenting and establishing best practices, ensuring that the right infrastructures for suicide prevention are in place, and sharing what they learn so that people have a better chance to live the long, healthy, and happy lives they deserve.

What to expect as this new ULM HELPS program begins

1. Help from the three clinics on campus providing counseling or therapy for you, a student, or co-worker. An awareness of how to get in touch with those clinics, where they are located, there hours, and the costs (if any, most of the clinics on campus have no cost for students, faculty and staff).

2. An awareness campaign to bring about a change of attitude on our campus to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help for emotional and/or mental issues.

3. Prevention and Postvention Suicide support for students, faculty, staff, and families.

4. A new website that gives information and contacts for help with any mental or emotional issue, such as, sadness, loneliness, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, alcohol and/or drug addiction.

5. The ULM HELPS Project phone number to call for information or questions for any concern that a student, faculty or staff member, parent, or other family member may have. Our office is open Mon-Thurs from 7:30-5:00 and Fri. 7:30-11:30.

Empowering Youth, Adults, and Entire Communities to Help

Through customized programs that meet the needs of the communities they serve, SAMHSA grantees together are building a national response to youth suicide. We connect communities, people, and services so that collaborative, coordinated, and effective action to prevent suicide can be taken -- and ensure that we as a society never turn a blind eye to a person in need.

Who will ULM HELPS reach out to

1. ULM faculty, staff and police officers: A training program aimed at providing information to use immediately if someone comes to you and tells you they want to “end it all” “stop the pain” “die” or any of the many things people say when they are feeling hopelessness, intense sadness, or any number of other depressive symptoms that may lead them to believe that the best thing to do is to kill themselves by suicide.

Raised level of awareness of mental health wellness and how important it is to everyone’s well being from childhood through adulthood. You are never too young or too old to ask and receive help with problems.

2. Students: A training program aimed at providing information to use immediately if someone comes to you and tells you they want to “end it all” “stop the pain” “die” or any of the many things people say when they are feeling hopelessness, intense sadness, or any number of other depressive symptoms that may lead them to believe that the best thing to do is to kill themselves by suicide.

Help in understanding that there is no shame in asking or receiving help for mental health issues. By changing how people understand Mental Health WELLNESS, as being the same as your Physical Wellness, we can hopefully bring about attitude changes that make it possible for more people to increasingly seek professional help with emotional or mental issues of concern to them.

3. Incoming freshman and families: A training program aimed at providing information to use immediately if someone comes to you and tells you they want to “end it all” “stop the pain” “die” or any of the many things people say when they are feeling hopelessness, intense sadness, or any number of other depressive symptoms that may lead them to believe that the best thing to do is to kill themselves by suicide.

Information showing the risk factors and warning signs to watch for as students make the transition to college-life.

Information about on-line website and information that can be found in order to locate training and other needed information concerning Mental Health Wellness on the ULM campus.

4. Students that need help: The ULM HELPS Project strives to help all students who:

Feel sad, lonely, depressed, anxious, or panicked

Have changes in sleep or eating habits

Have erratic mood swings

May be experiencing an increase in the use of drugs (including prescription drugs) or alcohol

Come to ULM with a diagnosed mental health disorder such as Bi-Polar, Depression, ADHD, or any other disorder that you are under the care of a physician

Have made suicide attempts in the past

May have family members who have completed suicide