Lucia Martinez
SHC Wellness Center
The Alabama Department of Public Health awarded Psychology professors Dr. JamieO’Bryant and Dr. Jamie Franco-Zamudio a one-year $10,000 grant towards mental healthawareness, suicide prevention and LGBTQ+ support.
Together, Dr. O’Bryant and Dr. Franco-Zamudio have founded the Get Support, GiveSupport Project which will offer multiple interventions that focus on providing additional mentalhealth resources as well as support to students and allies in the LGBTQ+ community. Over thenext year, Dr. O’Bryant and Dr. Franco-Zamudio will evaluate the effectiveness of these newresources, hoping to have reduced suicide risk and stigma for help-seeking behavior.
“We chose the title ‘Get Support, Give Support’ for this project because our goal is notonly to provide training and resources to those seeking mental health help, but also to those whoare providing that help to others.” said Dr. O’Bryant. Students, faculty and staff are encouragedto participate in upcoming events which include a public speaker, training events, Rock the Hilland a vigil commemorating those lost to suicide.
A portion of the grant also focuses on providing extra support to members of theLGBTQ+ community as they are often at higher risk for depression, anxiety and suicideideology. Through the Get Support, Give Support Project, students and faculty are participatingin a five-week common read of Father Martin’s Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Churchand the LGBT Community Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, andSensitivity. The project has also provided free, off-campus counseling to LGBTQ+ identifying students through a partnership with Collins Counseling & Associates. Students can make an appointment by phone at 251-473-3410 and check in with their student ID.
“For me, this work is not only an opportunity to provide useful resources and tools tostudents and colleagues,” said Dr. O’Bryant. “But it has also allowed me to find new connectionson campus and learn more about the current culture at Spring Hill College.”
All those interested are invited to attend guest speaker Andrew Onimus’ talk aboutmental health on Mar. 18 at 6 p.m. in LeBlanc. There will be a follow-up suicide preventionevent hosted by Lifelines Counseling Services on Mar. 19 at 12:15 p.m. in Gautrelet.