Since September is National Suicide Awareness Month, the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana  hosted an informative workshop on suicide prevention last Wednesday. Mental Health Matters was geared at raising mental health and suicide awareness.
The Children’s Coalition created the event with ULM’s Self Development, Counseling and Special Accommodations Center. Headquartered in Monroe, the Children’s Coalition services 12 parishes and annually helps 11K children. Mental Health Matters is one of the many outreach programs organized by the regionally-based non-profit.
Jan Daniels, youth development coordinator at the Children’s Coalition, spoke on suicide prevention and ways students can receive help.
“We know that suicide is on the rise, and we are trying to make sure that we get the word out and that we educate so that we can prevent any suicides that may happen on campus,” Daniels said.
During the presentation, Daniels talked about the warning signs of stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness. She discussed the factors that contribute to mental health issues, such as social media. Then, she mentioned what students can do if they think someone is at risk of suicide.

Freshman computer science major Tanzif Avishek explained his reasoning behind attending the event.
“I actually had a friend who was exhibiting these symptoms back in high school,” Avishek said. “I wanted to not go through that again. I want to be a better helper.”
Senior psychology major Isabella Coates expressed her pride in the work the Children’s Coalition is doing to raise awareness of mental health.
“I deeply believe that events like this are of the utmost importance,” Coates said. “Students need the opportunity to get involved in a way that allows them the autonomy of choosing how much involvement they want. Yesterday’s event proved that.”