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Centers and Institutes

Behavioral Health and
Family Studies Institute

Enhance the quality of life.

The Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute focuses on issues that relate to the prevention of behavioral dysfunction and the restoration of mental health functioning across the life span within an individual, family, and community context, with the goal of increasing the quality of life for the citizens of northeast Indiana.

The institute is modeled after the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute and enhances the quality of life in the region through the following measures:

  • Providing leadership to the northeast Indiana community in concerns related to behavioral health and family studies
  • Offering professional training to behavioral health and family services providers
  • Providing a central source of information related to behavioral health and family studies topics for the citizens of northeastern Indiana
  • Encouraging high school students, college students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other scientists to pursue careers in behavioral health and family studies fields
  • Collaborating with other Purdue University Fort Wayne Centers of Excellence to provide northeastern Indiana human service and government agencies consultation, needs assessment, program planning, and evaluation


Mission

The mission of the Purdue University Fort Wayne Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute is to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary center that offers leadership for community concerns related to behavioral health and family studies and to provide professional education, community training, professional practice experience, consultation, research, and dissemination of knowledge related to behavioral health and family studies topics.


Community Outreach

The Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute is committed to working with the community on projects that enhance mental health and decrease health disparities. The institute coordinates the Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition (ISPC) and Empowered! Minds.
 

Training, Resources, and Outreach

Committed and purposeful.

 

The Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute provides a newsletter full of mental health resources, articles, and training opportunities that shine a light on the importance of our purpose.

View Current Newsletter

Upcoming events

Mental Health Summit 2024 

 

Peer Support Groups

Alternatives 2 Suicide

Support group Flyer

BC2M Club

 

Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition (ISPC)

Operates as a statewide community outreach initiative of the Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute, a recognized Center of Excellence at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Since it’s inception in 2001, the ISPC’s mission is to coordinate, facilitate, advise and provide resources to Indiana communities for activities that reduce:

  • deaths due to suicide
  • occurrence of suicidal behaviors
  • effects of suicide on Indiana citizens

Please view the coalitions map for your community ISPC leader.

View Coalitions Map

 

Indiana LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) Team Network 

Indiana Loss is an active model of postvention. Teams are made up of suicide survivors who have been trained to assist the bereaved at the scene of a suicide by providing support and referrals. The primary goal is to let suicide survivors know that resources exist in order to shorten the time between the death of the loved one and survivors finding help. Frank Campbell, PhD, founder of LOSS Teams, leads many trainings and workshops where you can learn more about the LOSS team concept and how to set up a Loss team in your area.

View LOSS Team Conference Flyer

 

Bienestar Sin Fronteras

This resource provides free mental health services to the uninsured Latino population in northeast Indiana in their native language, thanks to support from The Lutheran Foundation, the Behavioral Health and Family Studies Institute at Purdue University Fort Wayne, St. Joseph Community Health Foundation, and Parkview Behavioral Health. 
www.bienestarsinfronteras.org

View Spanish Brochure

View English Brochure

 

Crisis Flowchart for Fort Wayne Area

If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis and contemplating suicide, would you know what to do? Check this chart and list of resources for how and where to get help.

View Chart

 

Stop Suicide Northeast Indiana

An alliance of stakeholders who seek to raise awareness and take action to stop suicide.

View Site

 

Mobile Apps

With the technology available today, most of our resources and tools are right on our phones. Mental health apps are on the rise and are a useful tool to have. Check out this list of important apps to download.

Learn More