Sarah Varnadoe, staff writer

Morgan Green, former suicide prevention project director for Berry’s Counseling Center, resigned recently, leaving the post vacant. As a result, the title has been given to other counselors at the Counseling Center, limiting the ability of the Center to serve students.

Berry received the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Assistant Dean of Student Wellness Michael McElveen applied for the grant in order to get another counseling position at Berry. McElveen served as the primary person for content and planning of the program initially. Even with the program started, he still is involved in it and supports the efforts of the grant.

Berry received the grant in October 2021 and it is supposed to last for three years; however, certain requirements must be met in order to keep it. A couple of these stipulations are filling out reports and conducting monthly meetings, things that the suicide prevention project director would normally oversee. Without a suicide prevention project director Becca Smith, director of counseling, has taken charge of grant responsibilities although she is normally the clinical director.

“I just took over the position, so I’m just keeping the ball rolling,” Smith said. “I’m running the monthly meetings and the mental health committee.”

With Smith taking over the work for the grant, the impact of Green’s resignation has been minimal. It has, however, been felt in terms of therapy services available for students. The suicide prevention project director splits their time between therapy sessions and grant work such as suicide prevention trainings, reports, and meetings. Unfortunately, no project director means that the Counseling Center is missing 12 extra hours of therapy for students.

The therapy was Green’s favorite part of the job and was ultimately the reason she decided to resign, according to Smith. Green did not enjoy the grant’s tasks, the largest part of the project director’s job. She wished to counsel more, and so she left Berry to go back into private practice counseling full time. However, before she left, set up the suicide prevention program well, Smith said. Through her connections, calming presence and hard work, she started the project.

“[Green] got the project off the ground,” McElveen said. “Some of that work she did before she left helped us continue to be successful during this time when there’s a vacancy in that position.”

Berry is actively searching for a replacement to fill Green’s role. Candidates must have clinical expertise as well as outreach and programming experience. Smith will provide training for their role, and SAMHSA will provide additional online resources for the new hire to learn how to fulfill their duties in regards to the grant.

A round of candidates has already been interviewed according to Smith; however, the job was turned down by a couple of people for various reasons including the school’s location and the salary of the position. Smith said that more interviews will be held on April 11 through Zoom, and the goal is to narrow the field and then hire by August.

A number of suicide prevention events are planned for the upcoming fall 2022 semester, including a program on Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) training. This program works to train people in recognizing when someone needs help and how to handle it, such as what resources to refer them to. Currently, there are 14 faculty and staff members at Berry already trained in QPR. There are two more awaiting training, and the new Suicide Prevention Project Director will also be trained in QPR, making 17 people total. However, the goal is to have as many members of the Berry Bubble trained as possible, including students. 

SAMHSA recommends the following resources: the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386 or the Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860.