Kent State University created the Step Up and Speak Out
program to help the university community respond
appropriately to individuals experiencing emotional distress,
exhibiting disruptive behavior and expressing signs that may
indicate risk for suicide.

As fall semester reaches the halfway mark, Kent State University faculty and staff are encouraged to revisit the Step Up and Speak Out folder they received in August and review how to effectively address stressful situations.

Faculty and staff are often the first to encounter student crises or difficult situations on campus, so Kent State created the Step Up and Speak Out program to help the Kent State community respond appropriately to individuals experiencing emotional distress, exhibiting disruptive behavior and expressing signs that may indicate risk for suicide. This suicide prevention campaign represents a collaborative effort of Kent State Psychological Services, University Health Services, the Division of Student Affairs and Kent State Police Services.

Faculty and staff received a Step Up and Speak Out folder at the start of fall semester to ensure all would have an easily accessible and tangible version of the initiative.

“The folder itself provides general information to give you a background on mental health concerns that you’re commonly going to see with students and also among your colleagues,” says Carrie Berta, Psy.D., psychologist at Kent State’s DeWeese Health Center and founder of the Step Up and Speak Out program.

The front of the folder explains the Step Up and Speak Out initiative and provides instructions on how to use the information both printed on and contained inside the folder. Located inside the folder is a resource card with campus-specific contact information along with a response guide, which uses a stoplight analogy to help faculty and staff determine the level of urgency for a situation.

“The volume of information that’s contained in the folder can be initially overwhelming to receive, but if you review the contents, even if it’s just one time, it really gives you the knowledge and tools necessary to assist others,” says Jennifer Kulics, Ph.D., interim associate vice president and dean of students.

If the folder was discarded, Kulics says, faculty and staff can contact the Division of Student Affairs to request additional copies or print materials from the Step Up and Speak Out Web page. The information found in the packet also is available online to access any time of day at www.kent.edu/stepupspeakout.

“The idea for printing the materials and sending them out is so faculty and staff can have them at their workspace,” Berta says. “However, some of these situations happen outside of the workplace so that’s why we have the website and the mobile app.”

The mobile app is available for free at the App Store or Google Play, and includes contacts for each campus along with other valuable safety information. For additional violence prevention programming, please visit the Beyond Compliance Step Up and Speak Out webinar that provides annual training for Kent State faculty and staff.

The Division of Student Affairs also hosts trainings and presentations for anyone who wants further clarification on Step Up and Speak Out. These are offered at a variety of times and can be tailored to the needs of any department.

“With this initiative, we want to say, ‘here are some helpful resources and you’re not in this alone,’” Kulics says. “After all, we are here to support our students and our community, so we are all responsible and in it together."

If faculty and staff find themselves in a situation presenting an immediate threat of harm to self or others, Berta and Kulics advise they call the police.

“Simply put, if you are concerned for your immediate safety or the safety of others, call 911,” Kulics says.

To request more information or to schedule a training session or presentation, email studentaffairs@kent.edu or call 330-672-4050.

For more information about the Step Up and Speak Out initiative, visit www.kent.edu/stepupspeakout.