The University of New Hampshire is boosting efforts to prevent suicide and reduce the stigma around mental illness.
The university is using a $100,000, three-year grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to expand an online training system. The program lets faculty, staff and students hold simulated conversations with computer-generated avatars to learn how to better identify and refer at-risk students.
Currently, the UNH Counseling Center offers four programs through the Kognito system, including those that address specific groups such as veterans.
Officials say the grant also will allow for more programing on suicide prevention and mental health for students from under-represented or marginalized groups.
