SU’s Dayton to serve as national trainer for assessing and managing suicide risk

SU’s Dayton to serve as national trainer for assessing and managing suicide riskApril 10, 2006SU News ServicesSUnews@syr.edu

Rebecca Stefan Dayton, director of the Counseling Center at Syracuse University, has been selected in a nationally competitive process to serve as a trainer for the American Association of Suicidology (AAS)/ Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s (SPRC) new curriculum, “Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk.” The AAS/SPRC paid for Dayton to be trained in the college and university curriculum in Washington, D.C., in March.

Dayton was one of 14 professionals selected from a pool of 220 applicants. Upon completion of the curriculum, Dayton received certification to teach and train other college and university mental health professionals how to assess and manage suicidal college students.

“As the second leading cause of death among college students, suicide is a national concern for all institutions of higher learning,” says Dayton. “I am honored to be chosen for this training. The development and teaching of these core competencies will help standardize the field of college mental health and thus give some guidelines to all mental health professionals dealing with this difficult problem.”

Says Barry L. Wells, senior vice president and dean of student affairs, “This is the first time a course of this nature has been developed, and I am proud of Dr. Dayton for leading the way for us here at Syracuse University. In her professional excellence, she sets a strong leadership example for her colleagues at the counseling center, the professional staff of Syracuse University and mental health professionals nationwide.”

Dayton earned a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993 and has been licensed as a psychologist in New York since 1994. She has been director of the counseling center since 1996. Her clinical interests include both broad-based preventative approaches to overall wellness and mental health and working individually with students experiencing depression, anxiety and issues of grief and loss. Currently, she is directing a $225,000 grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to implement and assess programs that address the increasing stress and mental health problems facing college students.

A principal unit of SU’s Division of Student Affairs, the counseling center provides students with comprehensive clinical and educational mental health services that facilitate problem-resolution, improve relationships, enhance personal growth and support successful academic achievement. The counseling center is accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc.