The Bridge

This fall, Counseling & Psychological Services introduced students to a new interactive online resource, ULifeline, which connects college students to information and resources specific to their mental health needs.

ULifeline is a program of The Jed Foundation, the nation’s leading organization working to prevent suicide and improve the mental health of college students, and is currently being used at more than 1,200 colleges and universities.

“Our hope was to connect students in a variety of ways to our services,” said Sandy Jorgensen-Funk, director of Counseling & Psychological Services.

“Some students feel comfortable on the Web site; others feel comfortable walking into our office. A greater variety of services will reach a greater number of students.”

In conjunction with The Jed Foundation and mtvU’s Half of Us campaign that brings focus to the “nearly half of all college students who reported feeling so depressed that they couldn't function,” ULifeline aims to:

• De-stigmatize mental health
• Encourage more young people to seek out ways to improve their state of mind
• Reach those young people who need help the most

Depression and mental health outreach

Depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. In October, SDSU along with other campuses nationwide, held depression outreach events and activities as part of National Depression Screening Day. In addition to these and other events, a variety of online assessments and other resources remain available to our students throughout the year.

Realizing that students spend a large part of their time at college with their educators and mentors, Counseling & Psychological Services encourages faculty and staff to visit the department’s Web site for resources that may be useful, such as classroom strategies in dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy, and referring students to Counseling & Psychological Services.

“The support of a community can make a difference,” said Jorgensen-Funk. “Whether it’s talking to friends, family or a counselor, it's important for our students to know they have someone to talk to and places to go for help.”

For more information, please visit SDSU Counseling & Psychological Services online or call (619) 594-5220.