SOS for Higher Ed Resources

• Visit mindwise.digitalchalk.com and click "Create Account"
• Enter name, school email address, and chosen password, click "Create"
• Copy and paste or type redemption code [insert your redemption code] (no spaces before or after) and click "Next"
• View the dashboard and select the course that matches your role on campus

*For all our communication suggestions, please see the templates section under "Engaging Students, Faculty and Staff" below.

If you have not received an email, please contact us for your campus's unique redemption code. Otherwise, no setup or activation is required, and moving forward you'll automatically receive weekly reports of who is using the course.

Our best recommendations for implementing SOS for Higher Ed are to incentivize and/or mandate the training for your students, faculty, and staff. To support these efforts, we suggest reviewing the following best practices for incorporating the course into pre-existing initiatives and championing suicide education across your campus. 

• One college found positive engagement with their faculty and staff when they integrated SOS for Higher Ed into existing communication channels - such as including it in onboarding materials, monthly wellness newsletters, and department chair meetings. Framing the training as part of their broader commitment to student well-being and campus safety also helped them drive participation.
  
  
• Incorporate SOS for Higher Ed into pre-existing initiatives. Does your campus already run social media campaigns for suicide prevention month? Include the link for SOS for Higher Ed e-learning. Do student groups already host suicide prevention or mental wellness events? Encourage them to download the group facilitation guide and lead SOS for Higher Ed workshops at their events.
  
  
• Let students lead the way. Enlist student government and leaders from special interest groups. Student leaders may have unique perspectives about the best ways to engage their peers. They also may become your loudest champions, encouraging administration to make suicide prevention training mandatory for first year students, new member orientations for clubs, athletics, Greek Life, and more. Students and staff working together can amplify your voice when approaching decision makers.
  
  
• Consider key departments. While counseling staff is well trained in suicide prevention, many staff members across student-facing roles are asking for more training. These staff can benefit from the faculty and staff training while also promoting the student training for residence life, peer leader programs, orientation, and student clubs.  
  
  
• Enlist faculty. Social science professors may choose to run an SOS for Higher Ed workshop in their lecture hall. Faculty across disciplines may assign the e-learning course for homework or for extra credit (students receive a certificate of completion). While their students learn, all faculty can benefit from the opportunity to review the faculty-facing training.  
  
  
• Coordinate with existing clubs and organizations. Your campus likely has several strong suicide prevention initiatives already running through departments, student clubs, and organizations. Work together to include SOS for Higher Ed along with other valuable strategies that are already working on campus. 
  
  
• Look to the helping professions. Social work, counseling, nursing, human services, ministry, psychology students would benefit from SOS for Higher Ed as part of their coursework. Faculty in these fields may consider going beyond assigning the e-learning. Students could be tasked with running peer-led workshops across campus for various student groups. Graduate students could design campus-wide initiatives as part of their internships/practicum/assistantships. 
  
  
• Lean on marketing expertise. SOS for Higher Ed takes a public health approach to suicide prevention. To spread the message, look to faculty, staff, and students in marketing, communications, and public health. Consider the influencers on your campus (both on social media and in real life) to break through the noise.  
  
  
• Check your weekly report. As more learners sign on and complete the SOS for Higher Ed course, consider how they can become ambassadors for suicide prevention. Email this group with a promotion to get 5-10 friends or colleagues to sign on. Or consider enlisting them to take the next step and become group training leaders. 

We suggest using the below Group Facilitation Guides for those who want to deliver the online training course in an in-person group or classroom setting.

• For Students
• For Faculty & Staff

Use the below templates to help you communicate the program's value to your students, faculty, and staff. 

Messaging:

• Website Template
• Email Template 
• Newsletter Template
• Sample Social Media Post

Graphics:

• Email Signature Banner
• Social Graphic 1
• Social Graphic 2
• Editable Certificate of Completion