The magazine of Montclair State University Fall/Winter 2017

Counseling and Psychological Services staff psychologist and suicide prevention coordinator Jude Uy received a three-year Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant to expand the University’s leadership role in preventing violence and suicide on New Jersey’s college and university campuses and to help strengthen Montclair State’s commitment to destigmatizing mental health issues.

“Our primary objective is to support the mental health of our campus by decreasing the prevalence of suicide and serious mental health issues and providing resources to the external community and other campuses throughout New Jersey,” says Uy.

The University is one of only 17 colleges and universities nationwide to receive the prestigious award administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The award supports the University’s new Project Suicide Awareness Violence Education and Response (Project SAVER) and supplements existing Counseling and Psychological Services initiatives. It also supports the establishment of
the University and College Alliance for Prevention of Suicide, or UCAPS – the first-ever New Jersey campus suicide and violence prevention consortium.

“I am hopeful that Project SAVER can help destigmatize and shift public attitudes about suicide, mental health and help-seeking,” says Uy. “The grant will help us continue to create and sustain a campus culture of tolerance and acceptance – and foster the safety and care of our community.”