Kognito Interactive: Interactive simulations to help students and faculty have difficult conversations about important topics, such as thoughts of suicide.

Directed all aspects of the California Community College (CCC) client relationship for an award-winning developer of online, interactive role-playing health games. The CCC is the largest system of higher education in the country (then 112 colleges) and the program encompasses all available Kognito trainings for higher education.

Kognito was selected as the suicide prevention training provider for the California Community College Student Mental Health Program (CCC SMHP) funded by CalMHSA. It was one of three providers selected, and the CCC SMHP component was just one of the elements in CalMHSA’s funding of mental health support for higher education in California. My role included coordinating activities with all of the partner providers, working with individual colleges on their rollout of the trainings, including materials and strategies for adoption, and working with the Kognito office to customize aspects of the trainings for the CCC.

LA Piece’s College’s rollout of the Kognito At-Risk training was an
overwhelming success…. Attendance was so high, and response to the session so positive, that the college is considering offering it again next year-with two computer labs! – CCC SMHP Newsletter

Highlights:
– Established a comprehensive approach and process for deploying trainings in higher education.
– Authored all required materials for outreach to both schools and training participants (individual colleges were not required to participate). Individualized roll-out plans were created for each interested college after an introductory webinar and needs analysis.
– The CCC program resulted in widespread adoption (exceeding all expectations) and renewal of grants with expansion of the program offerings for California.

Company: Kognito Interactive
Position: Program Director

References:
Kognito website
Kognito CCC story