Office of Student Life

Your Student Life: REACH for a Culture of Care

September 9, 2025

Get involved with the Office of Student Life's Suicide Prevention Program and help create a campus culture of care at Ohio State. SPP works to engage students, staff and faculty in helping to reduce mental health stigma and promote hope and healing. Through a variety of education, outreach and advocacy opportunities SPP reminds our Buckeye community that suicide prevention is a shared campus responsibility.

REACH is the SPP’s suicide prevention gatekeeper training program designed to help the Ohio State community prevent suicide by teaching students, faculty and staff how to:

Recognize warning signs.
Engage with empathy.
Ask directly about suicide.
Communicate hope.
Help suicidal individuals access care and treatment.

Once a person is trained in REACH, they can take their training a step further to be trained in REACH 2.0. Launching in October, REACH 2.0 is an advanced training for those already certified in REACH. Refresh your skills and deepen your suicide prevention knowledge by attending one of these trainings. The interactive in-person training is offered monthly and designed to bring together student, staff and faculty suicide prevention advocates committed to creating a campus culture of care.

In the REACH 2.0 training you will:

  • Refresh your REACH skills.
  • Go more in depth about what places people at risk and what you can do.
  • Challenge the myths around suicide.
  • Practice identifying protective factors, risk factors and warning signs.
  • Take time to interact, discuss and reflect.
  • Learn how to use your role at Ohio State to make a difference.
  • Become a stronger advocate for suicide prevention, mental health and stigma reduction.
  • Help to save lives and empower our community.

Registration is required to attend a REACH or REACH 2.0 training. If you have any questions, email reach@osu.edu.

To learn more about the Suicide Prevention Program, visit suicideprevention.osu.edu, email suicideprevention@osu.edu or call 614-688-5829.


Laura Lewis

Assistant Director
Suicide Prevention Program
Office of Student Life