IVC exhibit aimed at suicide prevention
IMPERIAL — Hundreds of backpacks will cover the grounds of the 2700 Building South Quad at Imperial Valley College today. Each one represents a real person who deliberately ended his or her own life.
The Send Silence Packing exhibit is appearing on the campus through the efforts of the IVC Student Health Center in partnership with Active Minds, the organization founded by Alison Malmon in 2003 after her older brother, Brian, committed suicide in 2000.
“I founded Active Minds as a freshman in college following the death of my brother, Brian, by suicide in order to end the stigma around mental health,” Malmon said. “Stigma is shame, shame causes silence, and silence hurts us all. Send Silence Packing is a highly visible way to combat that stigma, increase openness, and inspire action for suicide prevention.”
The Send Silence Packing was first unveiled in 2008 on the National
Mall in Washington, D.C., with a keynote speech by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy. The exhibit now visits 60 to 80 schools and communities annually.
The all-day display, which will begin at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m., includes personal stories from individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide and is designed to raise awareness about the impact of suicide, connect individuals to mental health resources, and inspire action for suicide prevention. Passersby are invited to walk among the backpacks to see the photographs and read the stories attached to them. Many of the backpacks were donated by families who lost a loved one to suicide.
Active Minds staff and volunteers are available at each stop, and are equipped to discuss the importance of knowing the signs of suicide, intervening when a friend is in distress, and getting help for themselves when needed. Trained professionals are also onsite at every display. All signs and materials encourage help-seeking and thousands of mental health resources are distributed.
Active Minds’ evaluation data attests to the exhibit’s impact: Most visitors leave wanting to learn more about mental health and the majority tell three or more people about the exhibit and may reach out to a friend in need or seek help for themselves as a result of experiencing it.
To address changing needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Active Minds launched a new companion exhibit designed to complement the in-person program: Send Silence Packing: Behind the Backpacks. This virtual, immersive experience gives users an in-depth look at the impact of suicide through personal stories, stigma reduction techniques, and visual components such as videos, photos and audio. Visitors to Send Silence Packing will have a chance to learn more about Behind the Backpacks and easily share this program with friends, family and their communities.
“The IVC Student Health Center is grateful to have the opportunity of hosting the traveling exhibit, Send Silence Packing, to the Imperial Valley,” said Lupita Castro, director of the Student Health Services, “The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of students experiencing signs of depression and suicidal thoughts. Therefore, we continue to work diligently in breaking stigma barriers and promoting additional resources for increasing mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and early intervention.”
The Send Silence Packing: Beyond the Backpacks exhibit was made possible by a generous donation from the RSM US Foundation, the college said.
“The Send Silence Packing exhibit coming to the Imperial Valley at our campus is the perfect time to remind our students and community that they are not alone, they matter, and IVC has great mental health resources on campus,” Castro said.
More information about Send Silence Packing or Behind the Backpacks can be found at activeminds.org/sendsilencepacking.