Salt Lake Community Colleges Wellness program was recently recognized by the State of Utah for achieving an impressive milestone: training 1,000 SLCC community members in the suicide prevention program LiveOn. The program was launched at SLCC over three years ago in collaboration with the state of Utah with the goal of destigmatizing mental health. Since then, it has become a beacon of hope not only for the SLCC community but for all of Utah.
Interested in bringing the LiveOn program to SLCC, Manager of Employee Wellness Christina McWhinnie, along with Preston Lindhardt, former SLCC Wellness Coordinator, met with folks from the state of Utah to learn more about the program and how it can be adopted for the Bruin community. After several meetings with the state of Utah and eLearning at SLCC, a LiveOn Canvas course was created, making it accessible to all members of the community: students, faculty, and staff.
Engaging, fostering a safe environment, and making a positive impact require a community, so congratulations are due to all the folks who have participated in the LiveOn program to help create a more supportive community at SLCC. The courageous team who built the program comprises Christina, who championed the program from its adoption; Eduardo Zaragoza and Bob Lyndsay (eLearning), who created and designed the Canvas course in collaboration with the state; and Whitney Ockey (Center for Health and Counseling).
"Having mental health struggles is nothing to be ashamed of, and the more we talk about it, the more we can learn and understand as a society," says Manager of Employee Wellness Christina McWhinnie.
"Suicide is the number one most preventable type of death," says Christina whose goal is to increase prevention by creating a more compassionate community and breaking down the stigmas surrounding the mental health issues that can lead to self-harm. "Having mental health struggles is nothing to be ashamed of, and the more we talk about it, the more we can learn and understand as a society," says Christina.
Christina and the Wellness team took it upon themselves to talk with department chairs and faculty about the importance of mental health. In response, many faculty started to offer the LiveOn Canvas course, which can be found using this link, as a form of extra credit for their students, significantly increasing the number of community members who were trained on suicide prevention.
Those interested in participating in the LiveOn training can access the course via Canvas using this link.
"Our goal is to expand these initiatives across other colleges, emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness and resources," shares Christina.
As the trailblazer in creating suicide prevention programs in higher education in Utah — and having reached the 1,000 people milestone — SLCC is inspiring other schools to join the effort. Starting in 2026, SLCC has been invited to meet with other schools to help them integrate the LiveOn program, helping their student body become more educated and prepared to support those in need.
For those folks who are struggling with mental health, there are resources available at SLCC to ensure that they can get the help needed. Below is a list of resources the SLCC community should know about for themselves or to help others:
Image Caption:
State of Utah Presents SLCC Members with the Award for their Commitment to Suicide Prevention
Left to Right in the photo is: