加勒特·李·史密斯是美国前参议员戈登·史密斯和他的妻子莎伦的儿子. As devout Mormons, well connected in the community, with access to medical care and resources, 当加勒特的父母得知他们的儿子说自己从10岁起就患有抑郁症时，他们感到非常震惊. 从小就被诊断患有阅读障碍和其他学习障碍, Garrett’s route to adulthood was not easy.
After high school graduation, 加勒特开始了在英国为期两年的任务，他的家人报告说他的精神状态总体上是积极的, 但当加勒特回到美国犹他州上大学时，病情迅速恶化. During his time in college, 加勒特开始看精神病医生，并服用抗抑郁药，希望能稳定下来, but by September 2003, 他不再接电话，也不再与朋友和家人交流. One evening, Garrett fed his dog, wrote a note to his parents, 打开门，在脖子上套上套索后吞下了大剂量的药片. A friend found his body the next afternoon.
Following Garrett’s suicide, 戈登和莎伦·史密斯忍受了任何父母都不应该经历的难以形容的痛苦, and through it, 他们面临着一个选择:他们是退回到自己的悲伤中，还是利用自己的痛苦来帮助别人，提高人们的意识?
“I didn’t volunteer to become a champion of this issue, 但它源于我作为一个因精神疾病和自杀而失去孩子的父母的个人经历,” said Gordon Smith, 13年前在参议院提出加勒特·李·史密斯纪念法案时. The Act, which is now a federally- funded suicide prevention program, was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 21, 2004.
Today, the act provides funding for mental health care, 大学校园的咨询服务和自杀预防项目. 补助金通过药物滥用和精神健康服务管理局发放。, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. lpl下注(Donnelly College)在2013年获得了其中一笔赠款，用于扩大校园咨询服务，并聘请了该校第一位全职持牌专业咨询师.
A NATIONAL CRISIS
Unfortunately, Garrett Smith’s story is not uncommon. While most cases of mental illness do not result in suicide, 他的故事凸显了一个在全国大学校园普遍存在的问题. In a 2014 article published by Psychology Today, the author wrote, 美国大学生面临心理健康危机的说法既不夸张也不危言耸听.” Donnelly College students are not exempt from this crisis; in fact, many are more at-risk given their demographics.
Susan Lechliter, TLPC, director of counseling center at Donnelly College, 说大学生有巨大的压力要应付.
“他们不仅试图接受教育，同时也在了解职场, relationships, and earning a living,” she said. “Many of us forget most of the situations they will be facing are new to them; they are bombarded with situations and experiences they have never faced before and are not sure how to deal with them. All of this results in stress.”
ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH AT DONNELLY
College students on campuses across the country, including Donnelly, seek assistance and referrals for a variety of mental health issues, including depression, bipolar and mood disorders, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, developmental disabilities, domestic and family violence, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, substance-related and addictive disorders, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Garrett came from a family of financial means. 他的父母与资源和医疗专业人士关系密切. 虽然唐纳利的一些学生来自类似的环境，但大多数不是. 许多唐纳利学生来自非常低收入和/或移民家庭，他们的心理健康问题往往因住房和粮食不安全而加剧, cultural challenges, childcare and transportation problems, relationship/family problems and issues of trauma, grief and loss. On top of that, many of our students have been exposed to substance abuse, domestic violence, divorce and other adverse childhood experiences. 有些人的家庭成员被监禁，许多人是身体暴力的受害者, emotional or sexual abuse.
To address our students’ unique needs, lpl下注的咨询中心成立于2010年，由大堪萨斯城卫生保健基金会提供为期两年的资金. 用这些钱，唐纳利聘请了一位兼职执业专业咨询师. 最初的计划目标包括1)评估唐纳利学生的心理健康需求, 2) improving campus-wide understanding of mental illnesses, symptoms and benefits of treatment, 3)增加有心理健康需求学生的求助行为;4)提高心理疾病患者的应对技能.
2013年，来自SAMHSA的三年资助让Donnelly将LPC职位发展为全职
to support a part-time intern. Under the SAMHSA grant, 咨询中心实施了一项名为“终身健康”的全面健康和自杀预防倡议，旨在为所有学生创造一种健康的氛围, 2) train “gatekeeper” faculty and staff, as well as peer helpers, to identify and refer students with mental health problems, 3)通过区域治疗和康复支持服务，加强和规范学院的网络基础设施, 以及处理心理健康问题的其他机构/机构.
In 2016, 大堪萨斯城保健基金会提供资金，以维持我们的一般健康和自杀预防服务，并扩大临床心理健康和社会工作转诊服务，以更好地满足学生的心理健康和社会服务需求. With the help of two years of funding from the HCF, 咨询中心一直在努力减少围绕心理健康问题的耻辱感，并扩大一般健康规划，为唐纳利的学生提供危机和临时咨询, 社会服务转介和持续的临床心理健康治疗.
In addition to the services offered by the counseling center, as a faith-based institution with an active campus ministry, 唐纳利还鼓励学生在精神需求方面寻求帮助——这对他们的整体心理健康有帮助. Regardless of what assistance Donnelly students choose to receive, 我们的目标始终如一——帮助每一个学生在他们的旅程中成为最好的自己.
