ASUC Senator Matthew Pitcher introduced a resolution calling for UC Berkeley to implement suicide-safe window measures across all residence halls.<\/p>\n
According to campus spokesperson Lindsey Michels, Units 1, 2 and 3 already have custom window limiters installed that restrict openings to a maximum of four inches. Michels noted in an email that staff inspect the conditions of limiters during residence hall health and safety inspections.<\/p>\n
Studies have shown that even minimal structural intervention can lead to a significant decrease in reported suicide attempts.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeans restriction is a science-backed approach to suicide prevention,\u201d said sophomore theater student Sophia Lee, who initially reached out to Pitcher to propose the resolution. \u201cSuicide is an indefinite consequence of maybe a split-second decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee said she approached Pitcher because she realized she had an \u201copportunity to actually do something,\u201d following the death of a fellow theater student in April.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though I didn\u2019t know him, it still affected me and the theater community a lot,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI realized everything that I was feeling, and despite grief, I knew that there was a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
The resolution will be sent to the ASUC University and External Affairs Committee next Monday; if it advances, it will then move to the senate for a final vote.<\/p>\n
Lee, who has worked in safe messaging at Youth Creating Change for the last three years, said prevention begins with broader mental health support.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it can really start from the ground up, so that just comes with being a good friend, knowing the signs of suicide and being able to directly ask that question: Are you thinking about suicide?\u201d Lee said. \u201cThere\u2019s a myth that if you ask that question to somebody, then it\u2019ll put thoughts of suicide in their head. Actually, this is not true. It gives them a space to discuss something that maybe they were trying to keep secret.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pitcher said the structural interventions should be paired with counseling and other mental health services in what he calls a \u201cmulti-pronged approach\u201d to suicide prevention.<\/p>\n
While he hasn\u2019t met with campus administration in the resolution\u2019s drafting stage, Pitcher said he looks forward to doing so if the resolution passes.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents seeking mental health support can access counseling, advocacy, resources and referrals through University Health Services\u2019 (UHS) Social Services and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS),\u201d Michels said in an email. \u201cStudents can schedule a counseling appointment through MyUCBerkeleyHealth or by calling (510) 642-9494 Monday through Friday. For after-hours support, students can call (855) 817-5667.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ASUC Senator Matthew Pitcher introduced a resolution calling for UC Berkeley to implement suicide-safe window measures across all…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513037,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[22285,197427,197430,143,145,144,197429,197428,197426,14198],"class_list":["post-513036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-lindsey-michels","tag-matthew-pitcher","tag-myucberkeleyhealth","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news","tag-social-services-and-counseling-and-psychological-services","tag-sophia-lee","tag-suc","tag-university-health-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}