Suspenders4Hope, a program developed at Wichita State University, is highlighting different departments and individuals on campus who are advocates for mental health in hopes that their stories will inspire others to continue supporting one another in the community.

The CARE Team and Student Outreach and Support (SOS) are being recognized for their proactive support for the campus community. Their work ensures students, staff and faculty alike all have the tools necessary to work and learn at their full potential. Hear from Katie Davidson, director of SOS, on how the teams are supporting mental health.

CARE Team, along with its case management office Student Outreach & Support, promotes the importance of mental wellness by providing wrap around support for students. These incorporate supporting the holistic student, looking at their mental, academic, physical and emotional wellness. Specifically, this looks like having open conversations with students regarding their mental health and connecting them to appropriate resources, whether those are on campus or within the community. The CARE Team and SOS promote mental wellness by taking a proactive, education-first approach that centers compassion and connection. Through training, outreach events and awareness campaigns like Suspenders4Hope, we equip the campus community with the knowledge and tools to recognize signs of distress and respond with care.

CARE Team actively collaborates with faculty, staff and student organizations to normalize conversations around mental health, reduce stigmas and incorporate early interventions. In the broader community, we serve as advocates and partners — sharing best practices, hosting workshops and aligning our efforts with local resources to ensure students are supported both on and off campus. Our goal is to create a culture where mental wellness is prioritized, help is accessible and no one has to struggle in silence.

It is crucial that we support those going through difficult circumstances. By providing support it can alleviate stress, lessen the effects of anxiety and depression, and help the person create a sense of control and self-wellbeing. By being proactive and addressing concerns head on with students, it helps the student feel seen, heard and most importantly, not alone.

One of the most encouraging developments we've seen is an increase in students self-reporting, faculty referring students and overall help-seeking behavior across campus. This shift tells us that our community is becoming more aware, more connected and more comfortable reaching out for support. It reflects the growing impact of our mental wellness initiatives and the trust being built through our CARE Team and SOS efforts. We see more students coming to the Student Outreach & Support office as walk-ins. It is beautiful to see students taking action to improve their wellbeing and ask for help when it is needed.

We encourage the campus community to use the yellow CARE folder that was shared with campus partners at the beginning of the year. It provides clear, step-by-step tools to help identify, respond to and report students in distress. Be a resource, be an advocate and most importantly offer grace and a listening ear. Sometimes, simply showing that you care can make all the difference.

Suspenders4Hope represents more than just a campaign — it embodies a movement of compassion, connection and empowerment for our CARE Team and Student Outreach & Support. For us, it’s a daily reminder of our shared commitment to mental health and suicide prevention, and it fuels the work we do to ensure that every student feels seen, heard and supported.

As someone who is deeply passionate about mental health, I see Suspenders4Hope as a symbol of hope in action. It empowers our team, staff, faculty and students to recognize signs of struggle, speak up and step in with empathy. For the CARE Team and SOS, it’s not just about responding to crises — it’s about transforming the narrative around mental health and reminding our campus that hope is always within reach.

The CARE Team and SOS have deeply integrated the Suspenders4Hope campaign into our approach to supporting student mental health and wellbeing. Suspenders4Hope has provided us with a powerful framework to reduce stigma, promote help-seeking behaviors and create a culture of care across campus.

Our CARE Team uses the Suspenders4Hope training and messaging to equip faculty, staff and students with tools to recognize signs of distress and connect individuals to appropriate support. This aligns directly with our mission to intervene early and holistically support students navigating mental health challenges, academic stress or personal crises.

Within SOS, we’ve expanded on the campaign’s proactive model by embedding mental health check-ins, education and referral pathways into our daily case management. Whether through one-on-one support or campus-wide events, Suspenders4Hope helps us amplify the message that hope is real, help is available and no one has to struggle alone.

Together, these efforts not only promote retention and student success but also foster an inclusive and compassionate community where every student feels seen, supported and empowered.

Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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