Columbia State Community College is committed to the mental health wellness of our students, faculty and staff. As such, and in compliance with the requirements of T.C.A. § 49-7-172, Columbia State Community College has developed a suicide prevention plan that engages in a variety of initiatives to improve and provide crisis services.

Columbia State Community College’s Suicide Prevention Plan will be disseminated to faculty, staff, and students each academic term. Each academic term the faculty, students, and staff will receive the plan via email from the Student Engagement Department. As well, there will be a web link and updated student handbook.

Prevention

Columbia State Community College has developed a comprehensive approach to increase mental health awareness though efforts of prevention.

Contact

Columbia State Community College’s contact for suicide prevention work is Robyn Brian, MRC, Disability Resource Counselor. She can be reached at the Williamson Campus, Administrative Building, Room 135, email: Rbrian@ColumbiaState.edu, phone: 615.465.5722.

Prevention Components & Resources

Key components of Columbia State Community College’s suicide prevention work include:

A suicide or mental health wellness syllabus statement included on Faculty Syllabi for all courses.

Columbia State is committed to and cares about all students. Support services are available for any person at Columbia State who is experiencing feelings of: being overwhelmed, hopelessness, depression, thinking about dying by suicide, or is otherwise in need of assistance. For immediate help, contact the National Suicide Lifeline Number at 1.800.273.TALK (8255) or Text “TN” to 741741 or the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866- 488-7386. Veterans may also wish to contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1.800.273.8255 (press 1) or Text 838255.

  • Promotion of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and campus/community resources are made available through:
    • Columbia State Community College’s website https://www.columbiastate.edu/counseling-center/index.html, and
    • through additional methods, such as fliers, information stands around campus, orientation packets, and slides for our FYE/College Success classes. •
  • Utilizing community resources and agencies to provide prevention services for Columbia State Community College community members. Columbia State Community College has established relationships with the following local Mental Health facilities for the purpose of providing prevention education, training and/or prevention screenings.
    • Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network provides QPR training
    • Maury Regional Medical Center ER provides prevention education

Additional Information

Information regarding such relationships at Columbia State Community College is available with Robyn Brian. Robyn Brian will have available a comprehensive list of partners and services available to members of the Columbia State Community College community which may include crisis referral services, prevention screenings, training programs, etc. Any campus member interested in accessing the services/agencies and training noted above, or for more information about Columbia State Community College’s suicide prevention efforts should contact is Robyn Brian, MRC, Disability Resource Counselor. She can be reached at the Williamson Campus, Administrative Building, Room 135, email: Rbrian@ColumbiaState.edu, phone: 615.465.5722.

Intervention

There is no typical suicidal person. No age group, ethnicity, or background is immune. Fortunately, many troubled individuals display behaviors deliberately or inadvertently signal their suicidal intent. Recognizing the warning signs (http://tspn.org/warning-signs) and learning what to do next may help save a life. Contact If someone exhibits behavioral patterns that may indicate possible risk for suicide, they should be watched closely. If they appear numerous or severe, seek professional help at once. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) provides access to trained telephone counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or the Crisis Text Line by texting TN to 741 741.

If a student, faculty, or staff member encounters a suicidal student, faculty, or staff member, the following individual should be contacted immediately:

Melissa Febbroriello, MSW, LCSW, Jones Student Center room 142, 931-540-2572 AND
Submit an incident report to the Behavioral Intervention Team:

For Clifton, Lawrenceburg, and Lewisburg campuses, please ALSO notify coordinators

Should the incident occur after hours, or the above noted individual is not available, the following should be contacted immediately:

Columbia Campus Security: 931.540.2700
Franklin Campus Security: 615.465.5700
For Clifton, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg: Mobile Crisis 1.800.681.7444 or if imminent danger 911

If the suicidal person has plans and access to a lethal means, is planning to make an attempt very soon, or is currently in the process of making an attempt, this individual is in imminent danger and should not be left alone. Get the person help immediately. Determine who can get there quickly and keep the individual safe.

Should you have this concern, you should immediately call 9-1-1.

Intervention Resources

Columbia State Community College has established relationships with the following local Mental Health facilities for the purpose of crisis referral services.

  • Centerstone (1.800.681.7444) provides crisis referral services
  • Mental Health Cooperative (615.726.0125) provides crisis referral services

The safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff is of the utmost importance. In situations that require immediate action because of safety or other concerns, Columbia State Community College will take any reasonable administrative action or accommodation protocols that are appropriate. Such interim actions may include, but are not limited to: adjustments to schedules, ADA accommodations, adjustments of course, exam, schedules, facilitation of hold harmless voluntary withdrawals, incompletes, etc.

Additional Information

Information regarding such relationships at Columbia State Community College is available with Robyn Brian. Robyn Brian will have available a comprehensive list of partners and services available to members of the Columbia State Community College community. Any campus member interested in more information about Columbia State Community College’s suicide intervention protocol should contact Robyn Brian, MRC, Disability Resource Counselor. She can be reached at the Williamson Campus, Administrative Building, Room 135, email: Rbrian@ColumbiaState.edu, phone: (615) 465-5722.

Postvention

Because all student/faculty/staff deaths affect our community, whether that death is accidental, due to illness, or the result of self-inflicted injury, it important for Columbia State Community College to respond to and recognize all deaths in a consistent manner. Campus leadership and the communications department developed a protocol that includes a campus response to a student/faculty/staff suicide to decrease the trauma experienced by the students and other campus community members left behind and to help prevent further suicides through contagion.

Contact

If a student, staff, or faculty member death occurs by suicide, the following person, or their designee, should be notified immediately:

Ruth Ann Holt
Vice President, Student Affairs
931-540-2570

Postvention Components & Resources

Columbia State Community College has established relationships with the following local Mental Health facilities for the purpose of working to decrease community trauma.

  • Centerstone provides counseling services
  • Mental Health Cooperative provides counseling services

Additional Information

Information regarding such relationships at Columbia State Community College is available with Robyn Brian. Robyn will have available a comprehensive list of partners and services available to members of the Columbia State Community College community. Any campus member interested in more information about Columbia State Community College’s suicide prevention protocol should contact Robyn O’Neal, MRC, Disability Resource Counselor. She can be reached at the Williamson Campus, Administrative Building, Room 135, email: Rbrian@ColumbiaState.edu, phone: 615.465.5722.

Comprehensive Response Protocol

Columbia State Community College’s comprehensive suicide prevention, intervention and postvention protocol is available campus administration, faculty, and staff. For more information, please contact Robyn Brian, MRC, Disability Resource Counselor. She can be reached at the Williamson Campus, Administrative Building, Room 135, email: Rbrian@ColumbiaState.edu, phone: 615.465.5722.