Workshop title / topic: University Chaplaincy and Suicide Prevention
Workshop description: Research on the contributions of university chaplains to suicide prevention is notably scarce. The absence of research does not imply that university chaplains do not contribute to suicide prevention; rather, it may suggest a lack of recognition or awareness regarding their role. This workshop has three main goals: (1) to explore the relationship between spirituality and religion; (2) to introduce a suicide prevention framework; and, (3) to assist university chaplains with mapping their contributions on the framework.
Presenter’s biography: Serena Margaret Saliba is a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven. She holds two master’s degrees in theology and religious studies from KU Leuven, and a Graduate Certificate in Suicidology from Griffith University. Her doctoral research focuses on the contributions of university chaplains, as professionals tasked with caring for the spiritual dimension of the human person, to suicide prevention. She is supervised by Prof. Dr. Anne Vandenhoeck, with Prof. Dr. Stephan Claes and Prof. Dr. Martijn Steegen as co-supervisors.
Maximum number of participants for the workshop: 20
Special considerations for participants (such as mobility requirements):
None
Indication of whether the workshop contains religious content (specify the religious affiliation if applicable):
The workshop is on the spiritual dimension, which can be influenced by religious and secular lifestances. I will discuss results obtained from my own research where the participating university chaplains were all Christian.