As part of National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 5-11), students and faculty from ETSU will be hosting a number of activities focusing on mental health.The events are being coordinated by the ETSU PEAKS (Prevention through Education, Awareness and Knowledge of Suicide) project, led by Dr. Jameson Hirsch, an assistant professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Bryan Adams, a young veteran and Purple Heart recipient, will offer a presentation focused on “changing the conversation about mental health” on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 5:30 p.m. in the D.P. Culp University Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium.

A native of New Jersey, Adams set his sights on the United States Army after high school. He served a year-long deployment in Iraq and was shot in the left leg and hand during an ambush in October 2004. Adams was later awarded a Purple Heart. After returning from the war at the age of 21, he struggled to reintegrate into society and was eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He is currently a student at Rutgers University and a national advocate for veteran education and student mental health.

The ETSU PEAKS team and students from the Active Minds student organization will also host a “Mental Health Awareness Day” on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Volunteers from various student and community organizations will be located in front of Sherrod Library on Borchuck Plaza and will give away free pizza, drinks and prizes, along with mental health resource information, to members of the ETSU community.

ETSU sponsors of these events include the Department of Psychology, Department of Human Development and Learning, College of Nursing, Division of Student Affairs, and Office of Housing and Residence Life.

For more information or special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Hirsch at (423) 439-4463 or hirsch@etsu.edu.

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