MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES SHARE IDEAS
TO COMBAT STUDENT SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION
Community forum set for March 23 at De Anza College
Mental health advocates and experts who work in colleges, universities, K-12 schools and the community will gather Friday, March 23 at De Anza College to discuss how to prevent depression and suicide among students.
The forum is unusual in that it brings together representatives from community colleges, the California State University system, the University of California, K-12 schools and the community in discussion with local mental health leaders.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 15-24, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The event, titled “Student Mental Health: Depression and Suicide Prevention,’’ is sponsored by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, San Jose State University, UC Santa Cruz and the Silicon Valley Higher Education Roundtable.
The program will last from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in Room 115 at the Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies at De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino. Free parking is available in Lot D. A continental breakfast will be served at 8 a.m.
Panelists will present an overview of their work with students, then speak to ways that schools and families can best support students’ mental health needs. Organizers see the event as a way to share best practices and set an agenda for improving the delivery of services to students needing mental health support.
The idea for the forum grew out of a presentation last year to Foothill-De Anza’s Board of Trustees by Victor Ojakian, a former Palo Alto city council member and mayor whose son died by suicide in 2004 while away at college. Ojakian’s advocacy to improve student mental health services also prompted the University of California to review mental health services at all its campuses.
Participating on the panel will be:
* Victor Ojakian, parent and student mental health advocate
* Jean Marie Scott, acting vice chancellor for student affairs, UCSC
* Wiggsy Sivertsen, director of counseling services, San Jose State University
* Melanie Hale and Ernest Schmidt, psychological services counselors, Foothill College
* Laurel Torres and Kevin Glapion, counselors, De Anza College
* Carla Holtzclaw, coordinator of safety programs, East Side Union High School District
* Carlos Aguila, clinical program manager of the Mobile Crisis Unit, EMQ Children and Family Services (formerly Eastfield Ming Quong)
San Jose Mercury News columnist Patty Fisher will moderate the panel discussion . Fisher has written extensively about issues affecting families.
Community members are welcome to come to the event, but space is limited. Those who wish to attend should contact the Jon O”Bergh in the chancellor’s office to see if space is available. Individuals who need sign language interpretation or other accommodation should contact O’Bergh in advance at (650) 949-6100.
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