MANSFIELD- Suicide is preventable and we all have a role to play in saving lives and creating healthy and strong individuals, families, and communities, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“For me, its normal to talk about suicide” said Tessa Bianchi, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.

Bianchi, who counsels students at OSU-M and NCSC, would like to see conversations about topics such as suicide prevention and other mental health issues become more acceptable.

“There is obviously a stigma still, but we have gotten better with mental health,” she said.

She equated mental health to spiritual health, physical health, and relational health — hoping to take care of mental health like physical health.

For students reluctant to come see her or seek mental health services because they have a concern about how they may be perceived, she tells them it’s normal to be nervous the first time they come to see her, she may also use other tools such as humor or other emotions to help them feel at ease.

Bianchi isn’t the only one on campus interested in normalizing the conversation about mental health. It is also a goal of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) on campus.

NAMI On Campus is a way in which students with mental health issues can form peer-run mental health groups. According to the local NAMI Richland County website, they are dedicated to normalizing mental health conversations and equipping individuals with mental health resources through fun activities, relationship building and engaging projects.

Bianchi learned of the group at a campus event.

She said she met them at an Involvement Fair held every year during the first week of classes for students.

“I got to know Mary Kay Pierce and then I started to meet with Annabelle,” Bianchi said.

Bianchi explained Coffman, the Associate Director of NAMI Richland County, had a desire to offer support and have a group like NAMI on campus. Plus, to bring mental health awareness and education as well as reduce the stigma of mental health (issues). Bianchi said she has developed a solid working relationship with Coffman and NAMI on campus over the past couple of years.

Alexie Lorenz is the president of the NAMI on Campus for the 2021-2022 school year.

Lorenz, a freshman majoring in Psychology, hopes to help students who may be struggling with mental health issues. She aims to get them the assistance and resources they need to get through the challenging times they may be facing — as well as aid their studies.

She agreed quarantining and isolation caused by COVID-19 have played a role in some of the challenges she has seen students face. She also acknowledged a number of students have struggled with the remote learning environment.

“I think so many people, especially now with (the pandemic) and everything and then quarantine, everybody’s had such a hard time just staying home, not being able to really socialize and see some of their family and friends,” she said.

“A lot of the schools also got online and stuff made it more difficult. It can be overwhelming if they’re not used to doing classes online and things like that,” she continued.

Students might also struggle to find connections on campus. With so many people on campus or always meeting new people, a student may or may not see them often enough to form an additional friendship or connection, she explained.

Lorenz, who described herself as an introvert, listed reading, listening to music or watching a movie as some of the things she does to relax.

She hopes to become a psychotherapist after pursuing her Associate’s Degree at NCSC and transferring to Otterbein University to pursue her Bachelor and Master degrees in psychology or psychotherapy.

In an Instagram post introducing herself to the group and others, she said she’s honored to be a part of a platform that creates awareness about mental health issues and includes suicide prevention. https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSqjArJ6Lz/?utm_medium=copy_link

The group meets from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on every third Thursday of the month. Meeting locations vary. They have been meeting at spots on campus such as The Pavilion, which will possibly change after the weather shifts with the places to be determined.

Mind Matters, which is also a part of NAMI on campus, is a support group that is more therapy-based than activity-based, and meets on Mondays.

Approximately, 20 to 25 students have registered to be a part of the group.

Lorenz said 33 Forever Inc. (https://33forever.life/) is one of their biggest sponsors. The local non-profit was founded by the family and friends of Danielle Leedy, who died by suicide and to help further foster frank conversations about depression and other mental health issues.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs immediate help please contact one of the following resources:

NAMI-https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI-800-950-NAMI

NAMI On Campus-https://www.instagram.com/p/CSPT0Cvnnpg/?utm_medium=copy_link

419-522-6464

New Directions Counseling-https://www.newdirectionsforlife.com/

Helpline-419-522-4357

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline-www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

https:// www.cams-care.com/suicide-training

https://suicideprevention.ohio.gov

American Foundation For Suicide Prevention www.Afsp.org

American Association of Suicidology, www.suicidology.com

https://www.suicideprevention.ohio.gov/Schools/Colleges-and-Universities/House-Bill-28Suicide Prevention

https://www.govst.edu/suicide-prevention/

https://timely.md/blog/suicide-prevention-month/

https://timely.md/blog/self-care-tips-for-college-students/

(https://www.namirc.org/for-college-students)