HOPE Services Annual Reports

Annual Report 2025 graphic

Annual Report 2025 content

HOPE Services Annual Report FY25

Marci Young, Psy.D., HOPE Services Director  

Report compiled by HOPE Services staff

FY 25 Summary

Prevention is Intervention for the community
HOPE Services utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to promote health and wellness as well as the prevention of suicide, sexual violence, and substance misuse/overdose. Our initiatives guide and support the Shocker community in addressing these common wellness concerns through education, action and collaboration with on and off campus partners. HOPE Services empowers Wichita State University to cultivate communities of connection and care.
With this mission, our efforts increase student and staff understanding of healthy/helpful behaviors, reduce high-risk alcohol and other drug-related behavior, change attitudes and behaviors that contribute to sexual assault, and improve awareness and education regarding mental health and wellness in the WSU community.

Table of Contents

1. Health, Prevention, Outreach, and Education (HOPE) Services
2. #WSUWeSupportU Suspenders4Hope®
3. HOPE Services Advisory Board (HSAB)
4. Applied Learning Opportunities
   1. Prevention Ambassadors
5. Grants
6. Prevention Science & Community Wellness Academic Courses
7. #WeSupportU Suspenders4Hope®
8. Areas of Focus
   1. Promoting Health & Wellness
      • Maintaining well-being,depression, anxiety, stress management and other mental health concerns.
      • Raising awareness of mental health concerns, like eating disorders, body image.
      • Maintaining holistic wellness, healthy sleep, eating, and digital habits.
   2. Prevention Suicide
      • Increasing connections.
      • Providing recognition, intervention, and referral trainings.
      • Improving individual and community resiliency and coping tools before a crisis occurs.
      • Supporting survivors of loss.
   3. Preventing Sexual Violence
      • Cultivating healthy relationships.
      • Obtaining consent.
      • Preventing harmful behaviors, sexual, domestic, and dating violence, stalking.
      • Supporting survivors
   4. Preventing Substance Use
      • Reducing harm.
      • Practicing healthy habits.
      • Creating connections and feelings of belonging.
      • Preventing chaotic relationships with substances and reduce substance use and overdose deaths.

1. HOPE Services

Campus Efforts

• Continued to increase the presence of HOPE Services related materials on campus.
• Evaluated and implemented action plans for decreasing student deaths due to suicide or overdose.

Community Engagement

• Presented related materials at several conferences regarding our campus and community efforts. Conferences include: Kansas Prevention Conference, Kansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Conference, South Central Kansas Trauma and Pediatric Symposium, Addiction and Suicide Education and Prevention Coalition of Republic County Conference, Higher Education Counseling Centers of Kansas, Kansas Education Conference on Dementia, and 2025 Construction Working Minds Conference.
• Provided support to the WSU community through engagement in committees and consultation on campaigns and projects across the University. Committees include: Planning committee for the annual Kansas Prevention Conference (which had attendees from various organizations across Kansas), Shocker Collaborative for Indigenous Peoples, Student Affairs Assessment, Health Hum, Housing and Residence Life, Disordered Eating Treatment Team, Clery Committee.

Collaborations

• Continued our relationship with the McNair Scholar program to explore potential protective factors that we could focus on increasing in our student population.
• Collaborated with the Psychology Department to evaluate and create an updated evaluation plan for our Suspenders4Hope efforts in the community.
• Collaboration with Elliot School to ensure marketing materials were meeting intended goals and audiences.
• Engaged in collaborations with several campus and community organizations/departments (See #WSUWeSupportU Suspenders4Hope).

Awards

• WSU was selected to receive the Insight into Diversity Excellence in Mental Health and Well-being Award. This award was through Insight Into Academia, and is for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to fostering a culture of mental health wellness and belonging by providing innovative support for the emotional well-being of students, faculty, and staff.

Digital Engagement

• Engagement across all social media platforms accured 137,542 views over all accounts:
  • @WSUHOPEServices
  • ShockersCAPS
  • Suspenders4Hope
• The most viewed piece of content was a reel made by the PAs wishing students a safe spring break. This reel reached 6,000+ views. 80.4% of these views came from non-followers, suggesting that people were seeing this on their social media feeds, rather than from looking at accounts they follow.
• The second most popular content was a reel shared by HOPE, CAPS, and SHS about the Staff Wellness Retreat. This reel received 4.7K views, and 96% of the views came from non-followers.

2. #WSUWeSupportU Suspenders4Hope®

Prevention and Outreach

• Had 17,266 contacts with students, parents, staff/faculty, and community members.
• Engaged in 542.7 hours of outreach.
• Continued hosting a significant amount of outreach engagement on virtual platforms (livestreams, social media, & zoom presentations) to increase resources for remote students.

Presentations

• Had 8,466 contacts, average of 48 people per presentation. These presentations ranged in topics covering our four focus areas. 
• Totaled 274 hours of presentations
• 159 out of 176 presentations were provided were requested by campus partners. The most requested presentations were related to wellness promotion, wellness resources, and preventing suicide trainings.

Collaborations

• Collaborated with many campus departments on programming, planning, trainings, and events including: Psychology department, Hispanic Serving Initiatives, Orientation, Student Conduct and Community Standards, Housing and Residence Life, School of Nursing, School of Engineering, Community Engagement Institute, CARE Team/SOS, OSAT, Sociology, Social Work, Elliot School of Communication, Professional Development for Registrar Staff, Human Resources, Graduate School, Honors College, College of Health Professions, Barton School of Business, Athletics, Dining Services, and the Shocker Store
• Digital ads with Strat Comm utilizing site retargeting and geofencing
• From June 1-15, 2025:
  • 20,373 impressions
  • 53 clicks
  • 0.26% CTR (click-through-rate)
• Campaign Entirety
  • 211,126 impressions
  • 419 clicks
  • 0.20% CTR
• Positive Takeaways:
  • Impressions, reach increased in June.
  • Student messaging produced strong engagement.
  • The campaign efficiently scaled though its run time, signaling strong alignment with the paltforms, ads, and target audience.
• Through a collaboration with Campus Rec, Suspenders4Hope was the chariatble partner of the 2024 pumpkin run.

Tabling

• Had 8,800 contacts, average of 85 people per table.
• Totaled approximately 268 hours of tabling
• Provided 103 tables with information and resources. 

Suspenders Gear

• Items sales have allowed us to continue the incentive of a free #WSUWeSupportU shirt to any students, faculty, or staff who complete a Suspenders4Hope Training (Promoting Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide, Substance Use and Mental Wellness, or Healthy Relationship and Bystander Intervention trainings), as a self-sustaining program for the coming year.

Messaging 

• Delivered hopeful content and informative campaigns on social media, WSU TV, Shocker Blast, WSU Today, WSU Foundation and Alumni Newsletter, and other publications to build awareness of available resources among students, staff, faculty, and the community.
• Updated our social media programming to better align with students’ current trends.

Other

• Orientation presentations to familiarize new students with CAPS, HOPE Services, and Suspenders4Hope.
• Hosted WSU Wellness Initiative for campus community, recognized Suspenders4Hope Champions.
• Provided a faculty and staff Wellness Retreat.
• Supported several masters and doctoral level students on dissertation/thesis projects, and sat on dissertation committee chairs.
• In January and February 2025, EAB surveyed students who had been prospects for Entering Class 2024. When asked what a safe campus environment means to them, students indicated that the second largest factor was support for mental health and wellness. The fifth largest is support for physical health and wellness.

3. HOPE Services Advisory Board (HSAB)

Preventing Suicide Subcommittee:

• Marci Young (Chair, HOPE)
• Georgina LaFoe (Community Engagement Institute)
• Guy Schroder (University Police Department)
• Suzanne Hawley (Public Health Sciences)
• Chad Steinkamp (Admissions)
• Cora Olson (Student Wellness Center)
• Matthew Phan (SGA Vice-President)
• Courtney Lockhart (Student Outreach & Support)

Health and Wellness Subcommittee

• Cora Olson (chair, HOPE)
• Amanda Conner (Advanced Education General Dentistry)
• Ashley Purdum (College of Health Professions: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders)
• Brenda Lichman (Ulrich Museum of Art)
• Brett Brunner (Academic Affairs)
• Elizabeth Hardyway (YMCA)
• Heather Stafford (SHS)
• Jared Gulledge (Student Outreach & Support)
• Jennifer Nicholson (OSAT)
• Karolina Mosa (Campus Rec.)
• Marci Young (HOPE)
• Sara McIntyre (Human Resources)
• Tonya Baldwin (Interantional Student Support)

Preventing Sexual Violence Subcommittee / Coordinated Campus Community Response Team (CCCRT) Members:

• Cora Olson (chair, HOPE)
• Amanda Abeywickrama (HOPE)
• Carley Enyart (H&RL)
• Corey Herl (UPD)
• Jodie Hertzog (Sociology Dept.)
• Kailamai Nguyen (SOS)
• Michelle Geesaman (SOS)
• Kat Fishwick (HOPE and Psychology Dept doctoral student)
• Kyle Wilson (SCCS)
• Grace Henderson (SCCS)
• Marci Young (HOPE)
• Stephanie Hearnen (CTAC)
• Lauren Wilson (H&RL)
• Leslie Carvalho (WASAC)
• Jess McCoy (WASAC)
• Josh Steward (DA’s Office)
• Whitney Corley (WFCC)
• Lauren Koehler (WFCC)
• Eliya Decklinger (WFCC)

Preventing Substance Misuse and Overdose Subcommittee

• Rachael Gladden (Chair, HOPE)
• Marci Young (HOPE)
• Sheri Barnes (Academic Advising)
• Cora Olson (HOPE)
• Malaree Hood (SEAL)
• Jennifer Mackey (School of Social Work)
• Sarah Stephens Selmon (HOPE)
• Stacey Haines (DCCCA)
• Ashley McKinney (SOS)
• Stephanie Hearnen (CTAC)
• Sierra Riley (CTAC)
• Deah Davis (School of Social Work)
• Alexandria Parra (HOPE)
• Elisabeth Benteman (HOPE)
• Alan Dsouza (Trio Support Services)
• Kyle Wilson (SCCS)
• Daraleen Estill-Matos (Facilities)

4. Applied Learning

Applied Learning Opportunities

• HOPE Services offers applied learning opportunities to students from a variety of disciplines. They work on projects that are utilized on the campus and general community, engage in professional development and training opportunities, and function as a vital part of the HOPE Services team.
  • Offered 34 applied learning opportunities in FY25, including those who participated in the Prevention Ambassador programs.
  • 4 Communications applied learning opportunities.
  • 2 doctoral Community Psychology practicums.
  • 3 Sociology practicum/applied learning opportunities.
  • 2 Engineering applied learning opportunities.
  • 1 Public Health Social Work practicum opportunity.
  • 1 McNair Scholar Program Student
• Provided transitional employment for students who recently graduated and were looking for full-time employment.
• Assisted in the distribution of $4,000 in scholarships from the Greg & Carol Denewiler Scholarship for Combating Human Trafficking

 4a. Prevention Ambassadors

• At HOPE Services our applied learning students are an integral part of our resource creation process. Not only do they create resources, student staff and Prevention Ambassadors regularly provide feedback for resources created by professional staff. This gives our department insight into a diverse student perspective and increases the efficacy of our resources.

Weekly Committments

• The Prevention Ambassador program was designed with applied learning in mind. Students are given opportunities to build leadership and skills, collaborate on research projects, and create resources for their peers all while learning to work on a team. The 3 hour per week commitment consists of:
  • General Meeting (1hr): large group meeting every Friday to touch base on outreach activities, focus group resources, and meet with campus/community partners.
  • Internship Hour (1hr): smaller groups of ambassadors meet once a week to discuss focused projects determined by interest and/or needs assessments.
  • Outreach (30min to 1hr): reserved each week for potential outreach events scheduled for the WSU community.
  • Training (30min): new ambassadors complete a training session each week, equipping them with best practices in prevention education and more information about HOPE services programming.
• "The Prevention Ambassador program fosters student passion for change by providing the support and resources needed to make a difference. The way it connects students from all across campus made it one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience." - Abigail Rees

Key Performance Indicators

• Fall 2024
  • 21 ambassadors
  • 170 internship hours
  • 45.25 training hours
  • 167 general meeting hours
  • 40.75 PA outreach hours
  • 423 total hours
• Spring 2025
  • 18 ambassadors
  • 121.25 internship hours
  • 24 training hours
  • 160.5 general meeting hours
  • 45.25 PA outreach hours
  • 351 total hours
• "The resources we make in Prevention Ambassador meetings are built up by each student involved as they share their own ideas regarding the topic. By the time a resource is ready to be shared across campus, it has been thoroughly thought out, and no constructive criticism has been spared to improve our work as best as we can." - Matthew Dixon
• "I would highly recommend this applied learning to anyone. Reaching out of my comfort zone has made me comfortable with advocating for what I care about while staying connected to my community." - Amelie Zidarita

Events/Initiatives

• Prevention Ambassadors worked with HOPE staff on the following events (see Preventing Sexual Violence and Preventing Substance Misuse section for event details):
  • Redzone Programming
  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month
  • Tipsy Trials
  • Mocktail recipe books launch
• Internship Hour Projects:
  • Mental Wellness Resources addressing mental health access tailored for Hispanic and Latinx identifying students. The goal is for the final product to be available in both Spanish and English.
  • Tech wellness initiatives. Created a coping resource specifically for usage of technology (messaging apps, social media, ect). Needs were determined by a focus group.
  • Promoted Wellness Calendar content by engaging in a selection of activities and posting reels on social media.
  • Created a spring break wellness social meida campaign that included health tips for traveling, safer substance use, and consent.
  • Supported SAAM activity creation and tabling events.
  • Created and promoted end-of-semester wellness and stress management.
• Wellness Events:
  • Destress Fest: This is a campaign initiated by the Student Activities Council. Prevention Ambassadors host an event every semester.
  • Prevention Ambassadors participated in Destress Fest during the Fall and Spring Semesters.
• Other:
  • Assisted in creating a Night Out Check-list Resource to highlight the importance of substance misuse prevention and sexual violence prevention.
  • Ambassadors helped create the orientation videos for HOPE Services and Student Health Services.
  • Ambassadors attended the President's Lunch in April to talk about issues and experiences on campus.

5. Grants

Prevention Grants

• Awarded $35,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) ofr community prevention of suicide.
• Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) multi-year grant (ended Sept. 24).
• Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) multi-year grant (ended Sept. 24).
• Awarded $287,865 Kansas Fights Addiction funding for community subtsance use and overdose prevention.
• Aetna Grant $2,000 for Perinatal Hope Kits.
• Awarded $5,000 from LHEAT Sedgwick County for the printing and distribution of How To Talk About Feeling Bad Zines.
• Submitted additional grant proposals

6. Academic Courses

• Continued undergraduate applied learning research lab for Honors College credit.
• Submitted curriculum and submitted materials for Welcome to College: Developing Skills for Early Adulthood FYS.

PSY 317: Prevention Sciences and Communnity Wellness

• Our first course in the budding Prevention Science and Community Wellness academic track is launching this fall!
• This is a 16-week course is designed for future leaders, researchers and practitioners interested in wellness and mental health, this course examines the theory and applied practices of community wellness and prevention work. Students are a catalyst for change on campus as they create content that matters to fellow students.
• A broad array of prevention strategies, populations, methods and programs are explored through the lens of promoting wellness and preventing suicide, substance misuse and sexual violence. Upon completion of this course, students gain a foundational knowledge of, and experience applying, prevention and wellness concepts in the development of programing in communities with an emphasis on engaging the campus.

7. Suspenders4Hope #WeSupportU Prevention Program 

Community Partners

• Community Partners who have a 2023-2024 licensing agreement to use the Suspenders4Hope® Prevention Program, focusing on Mental Wellness, Preventing Suicide, Preventing Sexual Violence and Substance Use Disorders:
  • Ascension Via Christi (ongoing post-initial license collaboration)
  • Lower Columbia University
  • Nebraska Wesleyan University
  • Penn State
  • Wesley Healthcare
  • Newman University
  • The Catholic Diocese of Greater Wichita
• We provided ongoing support services for our liscensing partners. (Monthly reports, problem solving and planning assistance).
• Grew Suspenders4Hope campaign awareness with multiple promotional and marketing initiatives through large-scale events, collaborations, and programming with community partners, including Ascension Via Christi, OneRise, Bishop Carroll High School, Kansas State University, CRIBS, University of Kansas, Salud + Bienestar, Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association, The Phoenix, Wichita Catholic Diocese, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 0 Reasons Why, LGBTQ+ Foundation of Kansas, Sedgwick County, Safe Streets Wichita, DCCCA, Association of Community Mental Health Centers of KS, Fartleks, Bob Dole VA, Addiction and Suicide Education and Prevention Coalition of Republic County, The Greater Wichita YMCA.

Community Positions

• Served on County, State, and Regional Committees such as Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Coalition, Kansas Prevention Conference Planning Committee, WS-OSC Opioid Settlement Strategic Planning Committee, Sedgwick County Health Improvement Plan, and Kansas Suicide Prevention Coalition committees.
• Served on the 2025 Construction Working Minds Conference Programming subcommittee to assist in infusing mental health materials into the conference offerings.

Community Engagement

• Connecting with individuals, businesses, and other organizations in the community to provide assistance and to promote the programs, tools and resources of the Suspenders4Hope program.
• Networking and connecting with national businesses and other organizations to find partnerships that benefit WSU, the Wichita community and wellness in general.
• We have given away hundreds of Suspenders4Hope t-shirts into the Wichita community. Mostly through grant funds secured by our department.
• We have worked with WSU, local businesses, and entrepreneurs to try to create and develop platforms to deliver our healing messages to a national audience.
• Booth in Meadowlark Building at the Kansas State Fair. This provides a rare opportunity to connect individuals and organizations in rural and urban areas across Kansas with our resources.

Fundraising

• Founders Day of Giving Fundraising Campaign.

Train the Facilitator Program

• Launched in March 2023
• Over 120 facilitators are now trained.
• The new Facilitators will be able to  teach our Suspenders4Hope® Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide Training out in the community.
• We have been able to provide Preventing Suicide Facilitator Training to many community members, at no cost to them, by funds we received from grants.

Trainings

• In-person community training events for the following groups/events include:
  • Butler County Community College, Bishop Carroll High School, Newman University, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, NAMI Wichita, The Phoenix, Wichita Recovery Hub Coalition, Catholic Association of Businesses, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, PBS Veterans Award Show, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Public Health Meetings across Kansas University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Family Strengthening Retreat for the Hispanic Community, Catholic Diocese of Wichita, Addiction and Suicide Education and Prevention Coalition of Republic County, Girl Scouts of Kansas, CWA Construction Industry
• Provided a general community training for professionals who serve families and children in partnership with:
  • Sedgwick County Government Health Department, Aetna, DCCCA, Mental Health America of South Central Kansas, Valley Hope of Wichita, EmberHope, Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center, Mirror, Inc.
• Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide Trainings
  • Preventing Suicide in the Spanish Speaking community (In-person and online)
  • Preventing Suicide in the LGBTQ+ Community Version (In-person and online)
  • Preventing Suicide in the Vietnamese Speaking community (In-person)
  • Preventing Suicide in the Catholic Community (In development)
  • Preventing Suicide in the Law Enforcement Community Version (In-person)
  • Preventing Suicide in the Veterans Community Version ( In focus groups)
• Substance use and Mental Wellness Training (Online and In-person)
• Bystander Training (Healthy Relationship and Bystander Intervention Training (Online and In-person)

Digital Marketing

• Website improvements
• Tech support for our online training and website functions.
• Social media efforts and new partnership and space with The Phoenix.
• Results of Basketball game publicity: Looking at February 2024 last year, the website was visited 923 times, compared to 1,370 this February.
  • In the months leading up to February, the average monthly site visit rate was 582.
• In 2024, the Suspenders4Hope website was visited 11,243 times
• In total, there were 67,384 page views, of those, there were 48,999 unique page views
• Based on region, majority of traffic came from users located in: Kansas (3,446).
• However, despite SEO tactics targeting Kansas, there is also a significant amount of traffic coming from other states:
  • Virginia - 1,816 visits - particularly Ashburn, VA (1,641 visits)
  • New York - 1,150 visits - particularly New York, NY (1,119 visits)

Expansion

• Elevating the conversation around Suspenders4Hope and making strides toward becoming the nationally recognized symbol for supportive mental health communities.
• Expanded opportunities with WSU’s Office of Tech Transfer to commercialize Suspenders4Hope technology.

Collaborations

• Working with the Tech Transfer Office to explore and develop potential fundraising opportunities and new S4H partnerships.
• Working with community entrepreneurs on potential projects. (Novus, Ring-o-Rang (until Sept), The Phoenix, Love Like Remi.)
• Featured in media by: KSN3, Kansas Reflector, KAKE, The Sunflower, KMUW, Smoky Hills, PBS, AUTM, Shockers LOL, and the Sean Douglas Podcast.

8a. Promoting Health and Wellness

Social Media Campaigns

• Continued building a culture of mental health wellness at WSU through social media campaigns designed to connect students and staff with resources and encourage them to reduce stigma in their personal and professional lives. Student-led campaigns and graphic design featured messages around:
  • fentanyl awareness
  • monthly wellness calendars
  • the launch of 988
  • safe and sober driving
  • healthy relationships
  • the importance of connection
  • group therapy options
  • other resources available at CAPS
• Students worked on other social media campaigns, such as those under wellness programming.

Stories4Hope

• Program expanded and included a new story for faith-based communities.
• New Stories4Hope: Alicia and Andrea Newell.

Mental Health Advocate

• Mental Health Advocate campaign in WSU Today and Shocker Blast.
• Suspenders4Hope® Mental Health Advocate campaign and recognitions in WSU Today and Shocker Blast.
• This year we recognized staff in The Shocker Store, CARE and SOS Teams, School of Social Work, the Office of Financial Aid, Military and Veteran Services, Dr. Jodie Hertzog, and Julia Henderson.

Collaborations

• Mini-Wellness and Social Services Fair was held on September 18. HOPE, Student Health, and Student Engagement and Belonging partnered to elevate the event, increasing visibility of campus and community resources.
  • 91 ATTENDEES, an increase of 12% from last year (80 attendees).
• Health and Wellness Subcommittee supports Student Health Services Initiatives
• Partnered with the Office of Online & Adult Learning in their launch of Journeys through the Navigate App, focusing on the 8 dimensions of wellness, and a podcast.
• Two HOPE professional staff trained to be Project Connect facilitators to increase belonging and community. Project Connect principles were utilized with 18 Prevention Ambassadors in the spring.
• Partnered with the Community Psychology Doctoral program evaluation course to review and update our evaluative process for community-level programming.
• Partnered with athletics for a Blackout Mental Health stigma Men’s basketball game and a Mental Health Awareness Women’s volleyball sponsored games.
• Partnered with organizations across the university to create Black out Mental Health Stigma Day that included panels, tabling, trainings, and the men’s basketball game.

New Content Developed

• Dopamine menu
• Helpful and Unhelpful Thought Patterns
• Sleep Wellness Content
• Hispanic Mental Wellness Bookmark
• Digital Accounting Worksheet for tech wellness
• Wellness Calendars (revamped)
• Wellness to-go vending machine
• Setting Holiday Boundaries
• Winter Wellness Campaign
• Spring Break Wellness Campaign
• Depression Awareness Month content

Wellness Programming

• Wellness Calendar: The monthly Wellness Calendar focuses on physical wellness in addition to mental wellness and is produced by the three student-facing Student Wellness Center departments. Student workers and Prevention Ambassadors create social media marketing to increase engagement by creating Instagram reels of themselves/members of the campus community completing wellness activities.
• Spring Break Wellness Social Media Campaign: Designed by Prevention Ambassadors and HOPE Staff. Content included topics such as:
  • Travel Wellness
  • Consent Content
  • PA Advice
  • Safer Drinking
  • Affirmation
  • Tech Wellness
  • Sleep Wellness
  • Cold Prevention
• Winter Break Wellness Social Media Campaign: Last year Student Health saw an increase in portal messages relating to mental health struggles and mental health medication requests during the winter shutdown. Student Health, CAPS, and HOPE worked to create a social media campaign that ran December 16 - January 20 with the goal to resource students with tools, skills, and connections to off-campus resources (during the two weeks the SWC was not open). Some of the topics included:
  
  • Information and skills for managing Seasonal Affective Disorder
  • Navigating challenging family dynamics
  • Stress let down
  • Tools for financial wellness
  • Coping tool kit for stress and distress

Wellness Cards

• Over 2,100 SETS have been distributed for use
• Promotion continuesto increase visibility of the resource and provide easy access to the request website. The new promotion initiative features bookmarks with a sample of wellness reflection questions found in the card set, crisis resources, and a QR code to the request page. 
• This fiscal year, HOPE received direct requests for:
  • Workplace Wellness Card Sets
  • Classroom Wellness Card Sets
  • Student Wellness Cards Sets
  • Classroom Wellness Card Sets in Spanish
• Promoted Mental Wellness in the Workplace program, and Wellness for Students. These easy-to-use exercises allow supervisors or individuals to infuse wellness content into their everyday routines and meetings.
• Wellness in the Workplace Cards app is in beta testing.

Mental Health Screening

• 679 online mental health screens completed this year.
• Ran digital and print ads in the Sunflower encouraging students to take online mental health screening.

Resource Publication & Distribution

• Over 4000 total zines have been distributed
• Obtained additional funding for printing a zine titled “How to Talk About Feeling Bad,” which was a collaboration with Wichita Journalism Collaborative. This combines stories of hope and information from our Preventing Suicide training.
• Booth in Pride of Kansas Building at the Kansas State Fair to provide resources and information to the broader Kansas community.

Campups Materials and Programming

• Print materials posted around campus with messages of mental wellness and promoting help seeking behaviors.
• Evaluated WSU National College Health Assessment (NCHA) data vs national benchmarks and created programming and materials to address identified areas of concern.

Other

• Expanded Suspenders4Hope and Wichita.edu website with updated content and formatting.
• Providing WSU #WeSupportU t-shirts to students and staff as a sign of solidarity and to be objectively identified as a WSU mental health supporter.

8b. Preventing Suicide

Promoting Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide Training

• Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide Trainings (Multiple in-person and online versions). General and community trainings updated with the latest data. 
• Preventing Suicide in the Spanish Speaking community (In-person and online)
• Preventing Suicide in the LGBTQ+ Community (in-person and online)
• Preventing Suicide in the Law Enforcement Community Version (In-person)
• Preventing Suicide in the Veterans Community Version (In-person)
• Preventing Suicide in the Vietnamese Speaking community (In-person)
• Preventing Suicide in the Catholic Community(In development)
• Collaborative with the College of Public Health article on the efficacy of our PMWPS training published in the Kansas Journal of Medicine Our community version of our Promoting Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide training is available for all public health professionals in the US on the TRAIN system for continuing education credits.
• Partnered with SASE and trained every Student Affairs professional and student staff in our Promoting Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide training.
• In partnership with athletics all Rudd Scholars were trained in our PMWPS training.
• Continued evaluation of the efficacy of our Promoting Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide trainings.
• The data continues to indicate that our training is effective across populations (please see training data report on graphic version for more information).

Preventing Suicide Training

• Current Reach
  • 2,309 people completed the Preventing Suicide training in the FY 25.
  • 9,391 people trained shince its launch in September 2018.
• Connected with members of the WSU community who completed the Preventing Suicide training online to provide them with follow-up materials, resources, and a free suspenders t-shirt.
• Monthly on-campus in-person Preventing Suicide Trainings.
• Created Preventing Suicide in the Veterans Community version and completed focus groups.
• 24/7 Online Suicide Training specific to WSU students and staff.

Hope Kits

• Engaged with Strat Comm to promote Hope Kits and Preventing Suicide Trainings.
• Created videos to demonstrate how individuals can create their own distress tolerance “Hope Kits.”
• Hope Kit Handbook was created in collaboration with Graphic Design for Social Change class.
• Launched Hope Kit distribution with COMCARE, WSU CAPS, Prairie View, and Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph.
• Distributed a total of 575 HOPE KITS.
• Partnered with the KU CRIBS program to create Hope Kits for Perinatal and postnatal populations.
• “Our goal for collaborative safety planning is to equip our patients with tools and strategies they can use if they encounter a suicidal crisis in the future. Hope Kits have been instrumental in allowing us to meet this goal. The tangible, life-saving items in Hope Kits are a critical component to meeting this goal.” - Tauni Nank, LMSW, Program Manager, COMCARE Community Crisis Center

Other

• Distributed crisis magnets and medication disposal bags to all Housing and Residence Life apartments as well as information on how to take the online Preventing Suicide training.
• Created videos highlighting our Share, Ask, Support (SAS) model to assist people in checking in on others.
• Utilized information from student focus groups to include student perspectives on our current trainings.
• Focus on “Share, Ask, Support” with outreach messages and resources.

8c. Preventing Sexual Violence

Healthy Relationship and Bystander Intervention Training (HR&BI)

• Online version of the training finalized and is available to WSU students at suspenders4hope.com.
• Student in person training attendance: 35 in the fall semester, 4 in the spring semester.

Reach

•  5,916 outreach contacts on the subject of Preventing Sexual Violence and Healthy Relationships.

Intersectional Programming

• Red Zone resource programming and social media campaigns are an intersectional collaboration between HOPE areas preventing sexual violence and substance misuse, as well as members of their accompanying HSAB Committees.
• The Red Zone spans the first six weeks of fall semesters when, nationally, we see an increase in cases involving sexual assault and substance use concerns on college campuses.
• Composed of two weekly tables for the first six weeks of school. Tabling topics addressed
  • sexual assault
  • consent
  • substance misuse
  • the intersection of these topics

• 161 STUDENTS attended Red Zone in-person programming
• 141 at DVSAS resource containing topic tables
• 118 at AOD resource containing topic tables

Collaborations

• Annual Safety Report completed by CTAC – collaborations from HOPE staff on sections of prevention, education, and programming for sexual violence and alcohol and other drugs

New Content Developed

• Night Out Prep – Social Safety – bookmark and wallet card
• Navigating consent bookmark
• Spring Break Wellness Campaign - Consent
• Sexual Health Kits are available for all students at the Student Wellness Center
• Grant Funding:
  • DOJ:OVW Campus Program Grant Project ended September 30, 2024 that had contributed a total of $300,000 to campus initiatives over 4 years
  • Continuation grant application submitted for nearly $400,000 of funding October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2028.
  • Grant funds have provided an applied learning opportunity for 2 graduate students for the grant period

Programming

Peventing Sexual Violence/Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October)

• 9th Annual Purple Mile (on Oct. 12)
  • 190 ATTENDEES
  • Vendors at full capacity.
  • Partners continue to be a mix of mostly community organizations and a few campus organizations while the attendees are almost exclusively community members.

• Campus Events:
  • Composed of five tables during October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Tabling topics addressed red and green relationship flags, healthy conflict, sexual assault, consent, digital consent, the promotion of the Purple Mile.
• Activities included:
  • Theme: Polishing up your DV Awareness in which people could paint their ring finger as a sign of support. This activity garnered lots of participation - including from men. Photos were posted on Social Media.
  • Fall themed coloring pages with healthy relationship messaging.
  • Traced hands and positive messages banner.
  • Purple Thursday (October 17, 2024): Purple Thursday, celebrated on the third Thursday of October, is a day where people wear purple to show their support for survivors of domestic violence. SOS and HOPE collaborated to try a scavenger hunt for students without much success.
• 135 STUDENTS attended campus DV awareness month events.

Healthy Relationships around Valentines Day (February)

• Kisses Booth (giving away Hershey Kisses) with consent, red/green flags, healthy relationship content.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April)

• 105 PARTICIPANTS in the 8 HOPE table activities alone. Fellow CCCRT organizations also hosted resource tables at these events.
• Tabling events:
  
  • Topics for these events included consent, how to have consent conversations, myths and misconceptions, bystander intervention, and confidential and nonconfidential persons.
• Clothesline Project and Denim Day activities:
  
  • Sigma Psi Zeta partnered with HOPE for the Clothesline project and Denim Day as part of their outreach on campus. A tent was set up outside with t-shirts from past Clothesline Projects displayed.
  • During the SAAM tabling events, individuals could create fabric squares with positive messaging on pieces of denim for people to wear in support of survivors on Denim Day. They were displayed at the Denim Day table and available for people to take.
• A social media campaign was used to support all activities during SAAM and provide prevention material.

8d. Preventing Substance Misuse

Trainings

Substance Use and Mental Wellness Training

• This Suspenders4Hope training was designed to provide participants with tools to learn about substances, reflect on their perception of substances and those who use them, help them with decision-making around substance use, and skill-building with them on ways to intervene in a crisis.
• 230 TOTAL TRAINED
• 138 TRAINED IN FY25

Naloxone Administration Training

• Through a partnership with DCCCA, a prevention-related non-profit that operates primarily in Kansas, the Preventing Substance Misuse HSAB subcommittee became certified in their one-hour Naloxone Administration training.
• Because of a donation from DCCCA, we have been able to give free naloxone to training attendees.
• 137 TRAINED IN FY25

5- Minute Naloxone Administration Training

• In partnership with Safe Project, a national organization that works to promote harm reduction in campus and community settings, we have created a 5-minute naloxone administration training video for the general community as well as one specific to campus resources. The videos, available on YouTube, walk viewers through what naloxone is, how to use it, and available resources. We also created the above business card with a QR code leading to the video.
• 150 VIEWS between both ShockersCAPS and Suspenders4Hope channels since posted Apr. 2024

Social Media Campaigns

• Spring Break:
  • OverdoseAwareness Social Media Campaign, highlighting resources on campus for harm reduction tools.
  • Standard Drink Information Social Media Campaign, providing description of standard drinks and how they relate to safer drinking.
• Alcohol Awareness Month:
  • Alcohol Use Disorder Info with campus and community resources.
  • How/When to intervene in the case of alcohol poisoning.
  • Safer drinking tips (i.e. sober driving).

Campaigns/Events

• Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) survey:
  • Analyzed WSU survey data about students’ thoughts and opinions on important topics such as the effects, risks, and presence of illegal substances in Wichita. There were 3169 student responses. The survey provided us with valuable insight into students’ attitudes toward substances.
  • In 2022 we had about 1700 responses
  • This data will be paired with the NCHA data to launch a pro-social norming campaign for substance use.
• Biennial Review:
  • Conducting Wichita State's Biannual Review for the Federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. This report shows that our university is compliant with federal guidelines regarding sanctions and programming for substance use.
  • To make sure our report is well-rounded, we have received input from impacted departments on campus.
• Awareness campaign to normalize access to Naloxone and promote Harm Reduction as a way to address substance misuse.
  • Yard signs were stationed on campus with QR codes leading to resources on the HOPE Services page.
• Naloxone added to all AED machines on campus.
  • Because of a partnership with facilities, naloxone is available in 100% of the AED machines across campus as of this semester.
• Number of Narcan kits distributed: 131
  • This was through the Naloxone Administration trainings and Student Health Services' Welness-to-Go vending machines.
• Mocktail recipe book
  • In order to normalize alternative options to drinking alcohol, Prevention Ambassadors hosted an event in the campus dining hall to promote the new Mocktail Recipe Book by making and serving several of the beverages. Over 100 students participated in the launch.
• Red Zone
  • Comprised of two weekly tables for the first six weeks of school. The Red Zone is the first six weeks of fall semesters when, nationally, we see an increase in cases involving sexual assault and substance use concerns.
  • Partnered with the DVSAS Teams and Prevention Ambassador Teams.
  • Tabling topics addressed substance misuse, sexual assault, consent, and the intersection of these topics.
  • 118 students attended Red Zone in-person programming related to AOD resource topics.
• Tipsy Trials
  • This event uses drunk goggles to demonstrate impairment while under the influence.
  • Resources included information regarding standard drinks, safer drinking practices, and other harm reduction strategies.

Kansas Fights Addiction

• This is funding we received at the beginning of this year to create a community version of our Substance Use and Mental Wellness Training as well as a Facilitator Workshop.
• Notable activities for FY25:
  • Established monthly trainings at the Phoenix gym. They are a recovery gym downtown that allows you to utilize their facility after 48 hours of sobriety and also provides other sober events to emphasize community and connection.
  • Launched the online version of the Substance Use and Mental Wellness Training.
    • We have also joined the Phoenix app, which is like a recovery social media space.
  • Our account specifically is about building community for fellow mental health advocates.
  • Presented at the Kansas Prevention Conference. We had the opportunity to share our findings concerning the efficacy of our Substance Use and mental wellness training.
  • Care Kits:
    • We have adapted our Hope Kits which were designed for mental health crisis to kits for individuals who use substances.
    • These kits include harm reduction and overdose response materials, alternative coping strategies, recovery resources, in addition to our standard distress tolerance materials.
• The Phoenix Gym:
  • The Phoenix is a facility downtown that provides free gym services for individuals who are sober for 48 hours. They also host other family friendly events with the objective of increasing connection in the community.
  • They have met with our Prevention Ambassadors to discuss event partnerships for Red Zone Tabling in Fall 2025.
  • Became a partner on the Phoenix App which creates space for encouraging sober community engagement.
• SHARE:
  • Student organization that promotes sexual health resources.
  • HOPE has also partnered with SHS and the student organization SHARE to discreetly distribute safer sex and harm reduction kits at the Wellness Counter.
• Student Conduct:
  • Completed 12 2nd and 3rd tier AOD sanctions in collaboration with Student Conduct.
• Student Health Services:
  • Hope Services was able to provide naloxone to Student Health Services’ Wellness-to-Go vending machine in the Heskett Center. This provides the WSU community with free naloxone on campus.
  • Received award from the Sunflower Foundation Kansas Fights Addiction Grant
  • Represented on the Safe Streets Wichita Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to utilizing evidence-based strategies to support community development to reduce substance-related harm in KS communities.
  • Participated in Community Outreach Events promoting harm reduction strategies.

Tabling Events

• Kansas State Fair September 2024
• NAMI Wichita Candlelight Event for Mental Illness Awareness Week
• Mocktail Event with WSU Dining Services
• The Phoenix Gym St. Patrick's Day Celebration
• Open Streets Wichita
• Drug Take Back Tabling with Student Health Services

Presentations

• Monthly Community SUMW Trainings at the Phoenix Gym Fall 2024
• SUMW to RA's in WSU Housing
• Suspenders4Hope info at NAMI Wichita
• Kansas Prevention Conference Presentation
• MWPS training Standing in the Gap with NAMI Kansas in Plainville, Kansas
• Prevention in Educational Spaces Presentation with YLINK at Pleasant Valley Middle School
• Suspenders4Hope info at Wichita Recovery Hub Coalition
• Naloxone Administration Training for class in School of Nursing
• Email newsletter article highlights Mental Wellness and Substance Use training.
• Data regarding the Substance Use and Mental Wellness Training indicates training efficacy (available on graphic version)