This story was originally published in the MSU Exponent.
In the wake of a recent death on campus, Montana State University administrators say their focus has been on supporting students and ensuring access to mental health resources.
The death — which is being investigated as a suicide — took place shortly before 1 a.m. Feb. 21. As of March 4, the university has not issued an official statement to the campus community.
According to Dean of Students Matt Caires, the university does not issue mass notifications when a death occurs on campus. He said this is a long-standing policy stemming from concerns about privacy and student well-being.
“Out of sensitivity and respect for the deceased and the family, we don’t send out mass emails to students about a death on campus,” he said.
Betsy Asserson, associate vice president for student wellness, added that the University’s response to a campus tragedy centers on providing support across affected departments and making sure students can access care quickly.
“When there’s a campus tragedy of some sort, we’re really focused on being responsive to student needs and supporting them,” she said. “That means making sure all of our resources are available, that counseling capacity is there if it needs to be increased and that faculty and staff know how to get students connected to support.”
Additionally, Asserson said the university’s response includes reaching out to faculty and ensuring counseling services can meet increased demand.
“We also let our staff know in the counseling center that we need to be at the ready and increase our capacity to see students who might be in crisis and take those referrals,” she said.
Caires said he encourages faculty and staff to connect students in distress directly with campus resources, such as MSU’s Campus Assessment Response Evaluation team (CARE) and the Behavior Intervention Team (BIT).
“Our BIT team and our CARE teams come together, share information, talk about impact and then think through what’s the appropriate outreach, if any, to those specific students,” Caires said.
According to him, the Student Wellness Center is available for students seeking help. “Anytime we know that there is a student in crisis, that’s the number one place we refer to students.”
The Wellness Center houses Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the mental health agency for students, according to Brian Kasser, the suicide prevention coordinator at CAPS.
“We provide counseling, prevention, outreach and education, and my role is to coordinate our suicide prevention efforts,” he said.
Kasser said he works with counselors, student wellness and campus partners to educate students on what to do when someone is struggling.
According to Kasser, while more students are talking openly about mental health, stigmas and misconceptions still prevent some from seeking support.
“In some ways, we’re seeing students come in having had prior counseling and talking more openly about mental health than ever before,” he said. “On the other side of that, there’s still a stigma.
“Suicide in general is still really taboo, and because we don’t talk about it much, people can end up suffering in silence instead of reaching out for help,” he said.
According to Kasser, students who are concerned about a friend should pay attention to changes in their behavior and reach out to them early.
“We look at behavior change. If a friend becomes more withdrawn, stops going to class or social events or starts talking about feeling hopeless, these are signs that someone may be struggling and that it’s important to check in and help connect them to support,” he said.
According to Kasser there are several options for support — both on and off campus — for students worried about their own mental health or that of a friend.
“If students are in crisis and they need to be seen, they can call or stop (by CAPS) that day and we’ll make sure that they get seen that day,” Kasser said. “If it’s after hours or on the weekends, they can call or text 988 to consult with a crisis specialist.”
“If someone feels like a friend is at immediate risk in that moment, calling 911 or requesting a welfare check can save lives,” he said, adding that students can also walk a friend to CAPS or reach out to the office for guidance if they are unsure how to help.
Crisis support is available 24/7 by calling or texting the national Suicide Hotline at 988.
CAPS is located on the third floor of the SWC. To learn more about the office, visit https://www.montana.edu/wellness/counseling/.