Ithaca College

Pathways is a crisis intervention and suicide prevention training program designed for faculty, staff and students at Ithaca College. Pathways brings attention to a situation before a crisis occurs and increases the number of people on campus who are able to notice and refer when students may need mental health support.

As people become aware of the signs and symptoms of emotional or behavioral problems, they not only can help others, but they can notice and address periods of difficulties for themselves. What is true for students is true for others: when we pay attention to our experience, we can reduce problems, find help in a timely way, and prevent crises from occurring.  

Noticing physical or emotional signs of distress is one of the first steps toward finding relief and avoiding a crisis. If we first notice our experience, and then take action to respond in a positive way, we may, over time, learn to regulate our internal experience in a less damaging manner. If you are interested in learning more about Pathways training, come to an informational session on September 8th in PRW G-52 from Noon – 1:00. Contact LeBron Rankins (lrankins@ithaca.edu) for full Pathways training dates.

Most of us are familiar with the concept of “stress management.” When stressful things happen, we can use stress management techniques to control or possibly avoid, stress. A useful practice to combat stress is “peace management.”  On a regular basis, and not only when you feel stress or distress, focus your attention on inviting pleasant, soothing or peaceful moments into your life. Seeking peace and health is proactive and powerful. Imagine a community where people took time to feel calm and positive as they went through the day! We can choose to manage peace in ourselves rather than managing or controlling all that seems stressful.

The Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has online resources for self-help, a quick guide for assisting students at risk, and more:
https://www.ithaca.edu/sacl/counseling/resources/
https://www.ithaca.edu/sacl/counseling/assisting/
https://www.ithaca.edu/sacl/counseling/pathways/

Try these mp3 files for cultivating peace and positive emotions:
https://www.ithaca.edu/sacl/counseling/resources/selfhelpaudiofiles/ 

The full text of the Assisting Students at Risk Initiative is here: https://www.ithaca.edu/sacl/services/assist/
 

The information for this posting was provided by Deb Harper, Director, Center for Counseling and Psychological Services at Ithaca College.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations for the September 8th Lunch-and Learn should contact the Department of Human Resources at x4-8000.  Please contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 607-274-313 regarding Pathways trainings. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.