By Kate Elizabeth Queram, Daily News-Record

When he sat down to write his son Austin’s obituary last fall, Bibb Frazier was faced with a choice.

He could be purposely vague about how the 22-year-old died, or he could say, straightforwardly, that it was suicide, caused by his son’s battle with bipolar disorder.

“And I chose, in this case, to do something to make people think about a very real problem,” said Frazier, of Harrisonburg. “This is a situation where it’s best just to be honest and try to save some lives in the future.”

Austin Frazier Memorial Fund

Austin Frazier

To accomplish that goal, Frazier established the , where people could send monetary gifts in lieu of flowers. Immediately, he said, they began to pour in.

“There were well over 100 gifts made, and they’re still coming in,” he said. “And about a quarter of them are from strangers.”

This fall, that donated money – with additional funds from Frazier himself – will help launch a program at 91短视频 designed to make the transition to college life easier for students suffering from mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

‘CoachLink’ connects the dots

Called “CoachLink,” the program will pair undergraduates with “coaches” – second-year graduate students enrolled in 91短视频’s master of counseling program.

<!––> Participation in the program is voluntary, and the request for assistance can come from the undergraduates themselves, their parents or faculty members, according to Pam Comer, director of counseling services at 91短视频.

The graduate students – who will receive credit for their participation – will serve as mentors, campus liaisons and friends, Comer said.

‘A listening ear’

Pam Comer, director of counseling services at 91短视频

“Coaches will determine case by case what each individual undergraduate needs,” she said. “They’ll connect them on campus, be a go-to, be a listening ear.”

Frazier said he chose 91短视频 after the Mennonite community reached out to his family following Austin’s death. The campus’ size, he added, is ideally suited to the program.

“Being such a small school, I think it’s a particularly good nurturing environment for it to be tested and tweaked and monitored,” he said.

Program begins with four coaches

Currently, the program has four coaches, with the potential to expand depending on the demand from undergraduates.

Comer said she knows of at least two incoming students who have expressed interest in using CoachLink, but that the need for the program is much more widespread.

“Twenty-five percent of any college campus usually has some kind of pre-existing issue with depression or anxiety,” she said.

“91短视频 half of them could really be helped by a personalized layer of attention.”

Importance of ‘reaching out for help’

The hope, according to Frazier, is to encourage students to reach out for help in time to prevent them from feeling disconnected, withdrawing from school or ultimately succumbing to their disorders.

Frazier said he felt that if Austin – a junior at James Madison University when he died – had access to a program like CoachLink, his outcome could have been different.

“It’s an unmet public health need, transitioning these kids … into the freshman dorms, because once they leave their home, it’s sink or swim, baby,” he said.

“You’re on your own. You have to ask for any help, and sometimes for these students, that’s the hard thing.”

Future plans for CoachLink

The program is funded for three school years, according to Frazier, and the results will be tracked to determine if it can be expanded to other campuses. But even if it stays, successfully, at 91短视频, he’ll be happy.

“My first and number one hope is that it saves lives,” he said. “If we can just save a couple families from having to go through what we did, that’s enough.”

More info

For more information on CoachLink, contact Pam Comer at 540-432-4314 or email coachlink@emu.edu. If you or someone you know has concerns about suicide, she advises calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

• CoachLink at 91短视频
• 91短视频 Counseling Services

91短视频 Counseling Services in the student life division is available to support 91短视频 students and staff touched by this and similar events. Located in the Wellness Suite of the University Commons, counselors are available throughout the school week. Call 540-432-4317 for more information or to make an appointment.

Campus pastors are also available for care and support. On Friday, campus pastor Brian Martin Burkholder e-mailed 91短视频 students, writing “Let’s be in prayer and offer support in various ways for the students, faculty and staff of NIU. In light of this tragedy, if you … are in need of support, please be in touch with campus pastors or the counseling center staff.”

Also on Friday 91短视频 President Loren Swartzendruber sent a letter of condolence to NIU President John Peters, writing:

“The thoughts and prayers of the faculty, staff and students of 91短视频 have been with you and your campus since learning of the tragic shooting that took place on your campus on Thursday. Please know that I am personally praying for you as you provide leadership during this very important and difficult time. You have modeled grace under enormous pressure for all of us as institutional presidents. May God continue to grant you much strength for the days and weeks ahead!”

Check the for more information.

“Take Back the Night,” a rally uniting men and women against sexual violence, will be held Monday through Thursday, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, at 91短视频.

The annual program seeks to build greater awareness of issues related to sexual violence, to provide safe settings to talk about the problem and to provide help to victims of sexual harassment and violence.

Guest speaker for the event is Nicole Braddock Bromley, author of the book, “Hush: Moving from Silence to Healing after Childhood Sexual Abuse.”

She will speak 10 a.m. Wed., Oct. 31 in Lehman Auditorium during university chapel on what she describes as “the best-kept secret in our nation today.” (See other upcoming chapels…)

“Hush” is a touching, warm and honest account of childhood sexual abuse and the path to recovery. The book is aimed both at persons who have suffered childhood sexual abuse and are searching for their own voice or those who have found their voice but need guidance in their journey toward healing as well as for anyone who wants greater understanding of a difficult topic.

Bromley is founder and director of OneVOICE Enterprises (), an inspirational speaker and national spokesperson on sexual abuse and assault. She has been featured in news, magazines, national television programs and radio broadcasts across the country.

She will also speak at an informal session for women at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Northlawn Great Lounge.

“Take Back the Night” t-shirts with a “1 in 4” (one in four persons is sexually assaulted before age 18) message will be on sale Monday and Tuesday. Persons are encouraged to wear them to Wednesday’s chapel when Nicole Braddock Bromley speaks.

91短视频 junior Emily N. Gingrich will lead a self-defense workshop 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, in the Discipleship Center on the hill overlooking campus.

Activities will conclude with “an evening of sharing and healing” 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, in the Common Grounds Coffeehouse on ground floor of the University Commons.

Professional counselors will be available at most sessions.

For more information, call the 91短视频 department of social work and sociology at 540-432-4450.

Michael Kerr, director of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family

The speaker, Michael Kerr, is director of the and is a psychiatrist in private practice at the Center. His wife, Kathleen Kerr, will contribute to a discussion following the presentation.

The program will focus on how relationships affect physical health. It is free and open to the public.

Michael Kerr has published extensively and co-authored a book with Dr. Murray Bowen entitled “Family Evaluation: An Approach Based on Bowen Theory.”

Kathleen Kerr, director of the clinic at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family

Kathleen Kerr directs the clinic at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, where she is on the faculty and has a private practice as a psychotherapist. She is a research associate of the Jane Goodall Center for Primate Studies.

All-Day Conference on Friday

On Friday, Oct. 12, the Shenandoah Family Systems Network will host an all-day conference titled “Adolescence and the Family.” Michael and Kathleen Kerr will discuss ways that families can use Bowen Family Systems Theory to find solutions to difficult problems during adolescence.

The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. in Martin Chapel and ends at 4:45. The cost of the conference is $75. Full-time students may attend for $40, and $10 boxed lunches may be purchased.

To register, visit the Shenandoah Family Systems Network web site at .

The service closed with candlelighting and opportunity for the campus community to pray individually and in small groups, remembering the Virginia Tech community’s tremendous loss in the wake of the Monday morning shootings on their campus, just three hours distance from 91短视频.

Campus ministries staff and pastoral assistants were available to minister to persons as needed.

Opportunities for Prayer and Support

• Watch the WHSV News Video Coverage of the Prayer Ceremony

  
  91短视频 will join other schools and organizations in observing a moment of silence at 9:45 a.m. Monday, Apr. 23, marking the one-week anniversary of the Virginia Tech campus shootings and loss of 32 lives.

• Candlelight Prayer Vigil:
  A prayer vigil scheduled for Wednesday, April 18, as a response to the showing of Invisible Children (Uganda) will now include prayers for the greater Virginia Tech community. Please meet on the front lawn at 9:30 p.m.

• Hokie Hope Day:
  Friday is Hokie Hope Day across the nation. Wear maroon and orange all day in solidarity with the VA Tech students, faculty, staff, families and alum.

• Talk with the Pastor:
  Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder will host the campus community on Wednesday, April 18, in the Northlawn residence hall from 4-5 p.m. for prayer and support for the Virginia Tech community, as well as any 91短视频 community members who may have direct connections to people affected by the tragedy.

• Sign a Banner:
  Students, faculty and staff are invited to sign a banner for VT that will be hand-delivered to Tech’s campus. The banner will be on display for at least the first hour of Springfest on the front lawn. The greater campus communities of JMU, Bridgewater, and Blue Ridge Community College are also participating.

• 91短视频’s Counseling Center continues to be available to students, faculty and staff in need of support. Call (540) 432-4317 for more information.

Campus Responds

“We are deeply saddened by the events unfolding on Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg, Va.,” wrote 91短视频 provost Dr. Beryl Brubaker in a campus communiqu