The Samaritans have partnered with university students to provide assistance to members of the public who are in need.
With Anglia Ruskin University, the suicide prevention organization has developed its first-ever “university hub,” aimed at providing more online support services.
Trained university students will administer a “on-campus duty room,” providing an online chat service for persons in need across the country.
If the project is successful, Samaritans hopes to open more campus centers, which will allow the organization to expand its volunteer base and scale up services to provide “the most effective help possible to individuals who need it, wherever they are in the UK.”
Along with the duty room, the Anglia Ruskin alliance is also testing a Samaritans placement program for students enrolled in certain disciplines, including as mental health nursing and social work.
Students’ knowledge and abilities on how to have conversations with vulnerable people will be enhanced over the two-week virtual internships.
“There is an increasing need for individuals to have a variety of options if they are struggling and need to call out, and the epidemic has just made this need more urgent,” Colin Hill, Anglia Ruskin Samaritans hub service director, said.
“That’s why it’s vital we test and develop our online chat pilot, through initiatives such as this Anglia Ruskin University partnership, so eventually Samaritans can offer more digital, written-word choices for those who prefer communicating in that way.
“I hope the success of this university partnership will be the first of many.”
Professor Nigel Harrison, pro vice chancellor of Anglia Ruskin, said: “ARU provides its students with a comprehensive range of mental health and wellbeing support. This new initiative allows our students to give something back by offering assistance to the general public.
“Through our trained staff and student volunteers, Samaritans will be able to help more people across the UK – whether in Ipswich or Inverness, Cardiff or Coleraine – through this new online support facility.”
He added: “We are honored to be supporting such an important charity and the presence of the Samaritans hub on campus will also hopefully help to further normalize conversations around mental health amongst our own students and staff.”
The students’ experiences of the hub will be evaluated by researchers using funding from Health Education England.
