Health and Safety

Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Support

Mental health is just as important as caring for our physical health. At Michigan State University we are dedicated to the health, safety and well being of all our members, students, and staff. If you, or anyone you know, is a possible danger to themselves or others, there are local and national resources. Michigan State Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is an on campus support center located in Olin Health Center. More information about on campus resources can be found at caps.msu.edu.

Aditional Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
• JED Foundation Mental Health Resource Center
• Love is Louder Action Center  

CAPS Crisis Resources for Students

We're glad you're here. And we're here to help.

You are worthy, no matter how hopeless things might feel right now. That's why there are so many resources available to help. 

First things first,

• If you believe your life is in imminent danger and you cannot keep yourself safe, or you or someone else has decided to seriously harm or kill yourself/themselves or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room, if it is safe to do so. The nearest Emergency Room to MSU East Lansing campus: Sparrow Hospital, 1215 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing MI 48912. Phone: 517.364.1000.
  
  
• 24/7 virtual crisis counseling is available. Students can call CAPS at 517-355-8270 and press “1” at the prompt to speak with a crisis counselor anytime.
  
  
• For medication questions/concerns, students can call the 24 Hour Olin Health Center Nurse Line at 517.353.5557. 
  
  
• If you are unsure how much medication or alcohol someone has taken, and they are unable to communicate with you, call 911. Michigan's Medical Amnesty law protects you from legal charges for possession/use of substances in the event that you request emergency services to assist someone in danger of alcohol poisoning, overdose, etc.
  
  
• 24-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line: (517) 372-6666

   

Health Promotion: AOD & Recovery

Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD)

The Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) program is committed to reducing the negative impact associated with substance use, while cultivating an environment in which MSU students can flourish personally, civically and academically. The services are guided by a belief that students are capable of making wise, well-informed decisions about alcohol and drugs when provided the information, education, and support necessary to do so.

 

Alcohol & Other Drugs Education and Referral

The AOD Health Promotion staff offers educational sessions for students concerned about their own alcohol and other drug use or that of a friend or family member.

 

Medical Amnesty: See. Call. Stay.

Make the call. In Michigan, students who are under the legal drinking age may now reasonably expect that if they seek medical assistance for themselves or a friend when there are health care concerns related to alcohol use, they will not face criminal prosecution.

MSU's new medical amnesty policy supports students seeking medical care for themselves or others in case of intoxication or injury. With medical amnesty, there is no reason not to call 911 if you are worried about a friend you think might need medical care. If you see a friend in trouble, make the call, then stay with them until help arrives. Learn more about MSU's medical amnesty policy here. 

 

---

Alcohol Use at MSU: What does the data tell us?

At MSU, the vast majority of students drink moderately. But if someone chooses not to drink — or has too much and needs medical attention — fellow students are ready to support each other.

So what does the data tell us? 

• Seven out of 10 MSU students consume 0–4 drinks when they party.
• More than nine out of 10 MSU students approve of their fellow Spartans choosing not to drink when partying or socializing with friends.
• Nine out of 10 MSU students would call 911 for a friend who had passed out from drinking. 

Collegiate Recovery Community

AOD Program Questions?

spartansmart@msu.edu

Collegiate Recovery Program Coordinator

Dawn Kepler
dkepler@msu.edu
517.353.5564

   

Hazing Prevention

Fraternity & Sorority Life is meant to be a safe, positive, and educational part of the university experience. Hazing is contradictory to the values held by fraternities and sororities. Through education and awareness, the Fraternity & Sorority Councils hope to prevent member chapters from participating in these activities. In addition, Michigan State has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards hazing.

https://ossa.msu.edu/hazing-information-and-resources 

Michigan State Law: Hazing is illegal in Michigan under the law commonly known as  “Garret’s Law,” which is codified under M.C.L.A. 750.411(t).

Michigan State University Defines Hazing as: Requiring or encouraging any act, whether or not the act is voluntarily agreed upon, in conjunction with initiation, affiliation with, continued membership, or participation in any group that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm or humiliation. More info: http://splife.studentlife.msu.edu/regulations/general-student-regulations

• The regulations apply to students and student groups while on the land governed by the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, when students or student groups are engaged in University-sponsored or student group-sponsored (student governing groups and registered student organizations) activities off campus, or when the conduct of a student poses a clear and present danger to the health or safety of person or property.
• The regulations relating to protection of individuals apply without reference to where the activity occurs when the alleged misconduct involves hazing or acts causing or explicitly threatening to cause serious bodily harm to other individuals.

For questions or to report incidents of hazing, please contact ShirDonna Lawrence Director for Fraternity & Sorority Life via email at lawre396@msu.edu or via phone at 517-884-4070. If you decide to report, please be as specific as possible including organizations involved, date of incident and time, location, people involved, etc. . .

You may also call the National Hazing Prevention Hotline at 1 (888) NOT-HAZE or 1 (888) 668-4293 or submit a Anonymous Report via the MSU Misconduct Hotline.

Office of the University Ombudsperson

• Anonymous Reporting: In some cases, a student one may want to report a concern anonymously. Michigan State University has implemented a telephone hotline including a web reporting feature to help maintain adherence to ethical practices. The purpose of the hotline is to provide an anonymous method to report known or suspected misconduct at Michigan State University. Misconduct related to the following areas can be reported through the hotline: fiscal, conflicts of interest, employment, medical/HIPAA, research, safety, athletics, discrimination/harassment, privacy, retaliation, and any other issue that does not fit another category. To visit the website, please go to the MSU Misconduct Hotline.

   

No Excuse for Sexual Assault

Fraternity & Sorority Life at Michigan State University has taken a stand against sexual assault. As a partner of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, Fraternity & Sorority Life is helping to spread the word that there is no excuse for sexual assault. Through a publicity campaign and community events, we hope to bring awareness to this issue and empower our members to prevent it. For more information, click here.

Our Fraternity & Sorority Community has continued to commit itself to Sexual Assault Prevention by partnering with the Prevention, Outreach and Education Department team to take part in Greeks Take the Lead. This initiative includes interactive discussions about safety and education on topics surrounding Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence and creating a safer community here at Michigan State. 

Safe Celebrations

Fraternity & Sorority Life here at Michigan State is full of Spartan pride, however we encourage all of our members to celebrate with class. Our goal is to educate members on safe and legal celebrating to help foster a positive and responsible community.