Terriers Connect training for faculty and staff

Terriers Connect teaches faculty and staff to identify signs of distress, develop effective skills for communicating with and supporting your students, and provide accurate information about referrals to mental health professionals. Terriers Connect is committed to creating a community at Boston University that understands that the conversations that surround mental health are hard, but necessary.

This is a two-hour, interactive training program that includes:

• Review of college student suicide statistics and facts

• Discussion of suicide myths and warning signs

• Instruction on how to ask students if they are thinking about suicide and how to refer friends and classmates to mental health professionals

• Review of effective communication and relationship-building skills

• Discussion of typical emotional reactions experienced both by students in crisis and responding to students

• Participation in experiential exercises

• Participation in a guided group role play

Who should participate?

Being trained within Terriers Connect does not mean becoming a therapist! However, we know that most students in distress will turn to someone outside of the mental health field (e.g., a friend, teacher, or family member) before seeking professional help. Any faculty or staff members who would like to improve their basic listening and helping skills are encouraged to attend a TC training.