Katelyn Moorman
Staff Writer
The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded Wyoming as having the third highest suicide rate in the nation at 26.9 per 100,000 persons compared to the national average of 14 per 100,000 persons.
The seventh leading cause of death in Wyoming is suicide and is the second leading cause of death for people aged 15-44, according to the CDC in 2016. This puts a large demographic of students at the University of Wyoming at risk.
Programs at UW, like Gatekeepers Training, are available to educate the community on mental health and suicide, but there is also a Welfare Check system in place for those who need it. Welfare checks can be submitted by anyone who is genuinely concerned about someone or something on campus said UW Police Department (UWPD) Officer Josh Holland.
“It never hurts to call,” Holland said. “We’re here 24 hours a day for that reason.”
While suicide and mental health are some of the issues welfare checks cover, they do not always have to be about a mental health crisis. Holland said a student might go home for the weekend, come back to Laramie and then forget to call home to say they got back safely. The student’s parents might submit a welfare check to make sure they are okay.
“Welfare checks can come in for any number of reasons,” said Holland. “Typically we’ll conduct a welfare check if [a] family hasn’t heard from a student for a while, if there’s a mental crisis potentially happening or occasionally to make sure that they’re doing okay.”
UWPD works with other entities on campus, including Resident Life and Dining, the University Counseling Center and the Dean of Students, to make sure welfare checks reach their full potential. UWPD works with these entities to provide resources and services to students if they have determined a student requires them during a welfare check. Holland said the program is more efficient when everyone on campus is working together towards a successful resolution.
“It’s a pretty healthy working relationship,” Holland said. “We work well together.”
Holland said if there is enough information to perform a check, they will go to “have a casual conversation,” even if nothing appears to be wrong.
Anyone can call UWPD or contact the Dean of Students to submit a welfare check.
Recently, there has been an increase in Welfare Checks. In Nov., there were 13 welfare checks within 18 days. There were only 8 checks within the month of Oct. and 11 in the month of Sept.
“As a general trend, we do see an increase in welfare checks as [the] semester progresses,” Holland said.
Academics, relationships and weather can become more stressful as the year progressed which could explain a portion for why there has been an increase in Nov.
“Some students become more stressed as finals and semester project deadlines approach,” Holland said.
“Some students may find that relationships change or end and that those changes can be stressful to navigate. And as the days become shorter and the weather becomes colder, some people’s moods tend to become melancholy.”
A welfare check makes it possible not just for law enforcement to give the student access to additional resources or external guidance, but also for other entities on campus as well.
