>> >>PEGGY: WE DON'T YET KNOW IF THE MAN ACCUSED OF THE COLORADO THEATER SHOOTING HAS A MENTAL
ILLNESS. WE DO KNOW SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS SURFACES
TBEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 25, THE SAME AS MOST HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS.
TO ADDRESS WHAT'S WEEING DONE AT SAN DIEGO COLLEGES AND IN THE COMMUNITY IS IS SANDY
JORGENSEN FUNK, AND ALFREDO U GEAR A, DIRECTER OF SAN DIEGO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
ALFREDO, I WANT TO ASK YOU FIRST OF ALL, WHAT TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESSES TEND TO SURFACE
IN THIS COLLEGE AGE RANGE? >> >>ALFREDO AGUIRRE: WITH MOST OF THE MENTAL
ILLNESSES OFTEN THE CASEÊ THE THE ONSET OF THE ILLNESS OCCURS ACTUALLY BETWEEN THE AGES
OF 16 AND 25. SO YOU BEGIN TO SEE THOSE SIGNS.
ANOTHER FACTOR IS WITH JUST THE NATURE OF THE CONDITION FOR EXAMPLE PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA,
MANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE NT EVEN AWARE THAT THEY ACTUALLY EXHIBITING THE SYMPTOMS
OF THE ILLNESS. >> >>PEGGY: OKAY, SO WE KNOW THE AGE RANGE,
WE KNOW THERE'S A RISK, IT KIND OF MIGHT POP UP.
DR.ÊJORGENSEN FUNK, WHAT SORT OF SYSTEMS DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE FOR MENTAL HEALTH EITHER
SUPPORT OR PROGRAMS AT SAN DIEGO STATE? >> >>SANDY JORGENSEN-FUNK: WE HAVE A REALLY
WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMMING, IT RANGES FROM INDIVIDUAL AND COUPLES AND GROUP COUNSELING,
WE HAVE PHONE CONSULTATION WE PROVIDE. SO ANY TIME A STUDENT IS WANTING TO TALK WITH
A COUNSELOR, THEY'RE ABLE TO CALL MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT INITIAL CONVERSATION
TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE, WHAT MIGHT BE A GOOD NEXT STEP FOR THEM.
>> >>PEGGY: THERE'S A VIDEO, WE'RE WATCHING THIS VIDEO, IT TALKS ABOUT SUFFERING IN SILENCE.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU FOUND THAT STUDENTS IN THE COLLEGE AREA REALLY AREN'T GOING TO
SPEAK UP IF THEY HAVE A PROBLEM? >> >>SANDY JORGENSEN-FUNK: FOR SOME STUDENTS
THEY ARE MORE APT TO CALL OUR OFFICE OR COME BY OUR OFFICE.
OTHER STUDENTS ARE LESS LIKELY TO DO SO. WE TRY TO REACH OUT THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS,
THROUGH THE VIDEO, THROUGH OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES WE HAVE AVAILABLE, WE HAVE A CENTER FOR WELL
BEING WHERE THEY CAN DROP IN WITHOUT AN APPOINT. WE TRY TO PROVIDE AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS
POSSIBLE FOR STUDENTS. >> >>PEGGY: AND SPEAKING OF THAT, THE STIGMA
AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. THAT'S JUST NOT COLLEGE STUDENTS.
YOU HAVE A PROGRAM THAT YOU HELPED PIONEER HERE IN SAN DIEGO, IT'S UP TO US, TELL US
ABOUT THAT PROGRAM, AND HOW IT RELATES TO TRYING TO ERASE STIGMA.
>> >>KAITE: THE PROGRAM IS REALLY DESIGNED TO HELP ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF STIGMA IN THE
COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS PROVIDE EDUCATION U AROUND SUICIDE AND REALLY BUILDING MORE COMMUNITY
SUPPORT AND AWARENESS ON HELPING INDIVIDUALS TO SEEK HELP WHEN THEY NEED IT.
YOU KNOW, THIS PROGRAM REALLY IS DESIGNED TO IMPACT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, OF COURSE,
FAMILY MEMBERS, PEOPLE THAT WORK IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS, TO THAT POINT MUCH OF OUR MATERIAL,
OUR BRO BROCHURES, OUR POSTERS ARE ACTUALLY BEING CIRCULATED ON CAMPUSES HERE IN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY, INCLUDING SAN DIEGO STATE. >> >>PEGGY: I WAS GOING TO ASK THAT CONNECTION.
DR.ÊJORGENSEN FUNK, HOW DOES A STUDENT AT SAN DIEGO STATE OR MORRIS UNIVERSITIES, IF
THEY WANT FOO GET HELP, WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? >> >>SANDY JORGENSEN-FUNK: THE FIRST THING
THEY CAN DO IS CALL OUR OFFICE. THE STUDENT WILL CALL THE OFFICE, WE'LL HAVE
THEM TALK WITH ONE OF THE THERAPISTS AND GET A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THEM.
WE ENCOURAGE STUDENTS, STAFF AND FACULTY TO CALL OUR OFFICE IF THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT
A STUDENT WHO MIGHT BE DISTRESSED. WE WILL TALK WITH THEM ABOUT HOW TO HELP THE
STUDENT GET TO OUR OFFICE AND ACCESS OUR SERVICES. >> >>PEGGY: OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK
TO THAT. BUT FIRST, HOW ABOUT IF YOU'RE IN THE COMMUNITY,
YOU NOTICE A NEIGHBOR, FAMILY MEMBER A FRIEND AND YOUR LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON HERE.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? >> >>ALFREDO AGUIRRE: FIRST OF ALL, IT'S IMPORTANT
TO OBVIOUSLY SPEAK TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO YOU'RE OBSERVING AND ASK THEM HOW THEY'RE DOING AND
REACH OUT, LET THEM KNOW YOU CARE AND YOU'RE CONCERNED. IF YOU FEEL LIKE THE PERSON IS
NOT AWARE OR NOT GOING TO SEEK HELP, ONE CAN ALWAYS CALL THE ACCESS AND CRISIS LINE AND
GET SOME INFORMATION. IT'S OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
THE NUMBER, I BELIEVE YOU'RE POSTING IT, AS WELL OR THEY CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE.
UP, U P, THE NUMBER 2SD.ORG, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS.
THOSE ARE HELPFUL TIPS FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
>> >>PEGGY: IN BOTH CASES THESE ARE CONFIDENTIAL INTERACTIONS; CORRECT?
>> >>SANDY JORGENSEN-FUNK: ABSOLUTELY. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS
TO KNOW WHAT THEY TALK TO US ABOUT IS CONFIDENTIAL. IT'S NOT INFORMATION WE WOULD PASS ON TO ADMINISTRATORS
OR FACULTY MEMBERS. >> >>PEGGY: AND ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
>> >>ALFREDO AGUIRRE: YEAH. >> >>PEGGY: THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
WE DO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ON OUR WEBSITE AT KPBS.ORG, THERE ARE CERTAINLY
LINKS THERE FOR COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES ON CAMPUSES, SAN DIEGO STATE, AT
UCSD, AND ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR TELLING US ABOUT IT.
>> >>ALFREDO AGUIRRE: THANKS FOR HAVING US.