Suicide Prevention Awareness and Research Collaborative (SPARC) is an initiative at Salisbury University focused on advancing suicide prevention through education, training, research, and community engagement. Grounded in a preventive approach, SPARC brings together academic, community-based, and student-facing partners to strengthen prevention efforts across campus and the Lower Eastern Shore.
SPARC is a non-clinical prevention and coordination initiative: we build campus capacity through education, training, and research, and we strengthen pathways to care through close alignment with the Counseling Center and emergency resources. SPARC does not provide counseling or crisis services.Students in need of support should contact the Salisbury University Counseling Center or crisis resources.
Complete training and earn your green bandana to show that you are a trusted person who knows how and where to reach out for help! Available to all SU students, staff, and faculty.
The essence of SPARC is collaboration, with key partners on and off campus. Involvement can look different for each person depending on their availability, interest, and role in the community.
SPARC functions as a collaborative hub, bringing together expertise from across the university, the greater Salisbury community, and national suicide prevention advocates to support prevention, preparedness, and shared responsibility.
SPARC was co-founded by Dr. Stephen Oby of the School of Social Work and Cassidy Zeller of the SU Counseling Center, who currently provide leadership for the initiative.
Ways key members can be involved with SPARC
Attend monthly open session meetings to hear updates, discuss related initiatives, and provide feedback and ideas.
Help with event planning and promotion.
Receive emails about upcoming events and training programs.
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.
Just as people trained in CPR help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans, like you, are saying "Yes" to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor. To learn more about QPR visit the QPR Institute website.
QPR is the training used for those interested in becoming a member of the Green Bandana Project (TGBP). To learn more, please visit the TGBP webpage. If you are not interested in TGBP, but would like to complete the QPR training, or organize a QPR training session for a group, please email Dr. Stephen Oby at sjoby@salisbury.edu or Cassidy Zeller at cezeller@salisbury.edu. SPARC provides free training sessions for SU students, staff, and faculty. If you are a Salisbury community member, please visit Jesse’s Paddle website for information about QPR and other suicide prevention courses.
Salisbury University (SU) is excited to be in partnership with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) to host the Out of the Darkness Campus Walk on the Eastern Shore! The event will take place at SU on odd years, and UMES on even years.
Join SPARC on April 24th, 2027, to help fight stigma, learn about resources, and raise funds for AFSP and their mission to prevent suicide. Details about the 2027 walk will be posted early in the spring semester.
PLEASE NOTE: Visitor parking at SU is free, but permits are required. Please request a permit from the visitor permits website.
SPARC partners with Salisbury University’s Henson Medical Simulation Center to create immersive mental health training opportunities using standardized patients. These simulations give students a safe, structured environment to practice identifying concerns, assessing risk, responding effectively, and connecting people with appropriate support.
Trust, Technology, and Help-Seeking in College Mental Health: Attitudinal Predictors of Digital and Community Support Pathway Stephen Oby, PhD, LCSW-C, & Cassidy Zeller, LCPC Poster presentation at the Society for Prevention Research 34th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, May 2026.
Current Research
Exploring Campus Stakeholder Perspectives on Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Support
Need Support Now?
If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. For concerns about a student’s immediate safety, call University Police at 410-543-6222.
Students seeking mental health support can access free confidential services through:
SU Counseling Center offers free individual counseling, walk-in sessions, referral assistance and more.
TimelyCare offers virtual 24/7 on-demand mental health support, up to 12 scheduled counseling sessions an academic year, self-help services, and more.
For concerns about a student:
If the concern is urgent (i.e. concerns that someone is actively considering harming themselves or others) call 911 or University Police, 410-543-6222
If you are concerned about a student who is not in immediate danger you can complete a Care Report which will be reviewed by SU’s Case Manager.
For more information about referring a student to services, please visit the Counseling Center’s Referring a Student website.
Complete training and earn your green bandana to show that you are a trusted person who knows how and where to reach out for help! Available to all SU students, staff, and faculty.