ChantSafe program recently launched

On Aug. 20, President David DeCenzo sent out an email announcing that a new tool, ChantSafe, is now available to students.

“I am pleased to announce the launch of a new tool that makes it easier for you to find the information you need to be safe and to navigate a crisis here at CCU,” the email said.

This website brings together all of the different resources that are available to students. It is supposed to make it much easier for students to get the help they need by providing the information and contacts that may be needed for many different situations in one place.

When students expressed concern about not having easy access to campus resources, it inspired the creation of this mobile friendly website.

Lee Carter, director of Wellness Outreach, wanted to make sure there was a student voice in the project, so she reached out to seniors Tessa Taylor, Public Health major, and Madeline Filling, Communication major.

“[My favorite part] was working with the students, creating an environment where they could feel comfortable giving that feedback which I think students in general do. Being able to really sit down with students and other collaborators, other offices on campus, and being able to have those discussions in an environment where we all know safety is our number one priority [was my favorite part],” Carter said.

Both students agreed they enjoyed every part of working on this project.

“My favorite part of creating it was definitely how the committee members valued the students’ perspectives and ideas,” Filling said. “It provided me with this realization that staff members truly do care about what the students have to say and when we vocalize a concern, they listen and take action.”

Taylor had a similar opinion.

"My favorite part about the creation of ChantSafe was interacting with stakeholders and collaboratively creating content. It’s a rewarding feeling to have been a part of something that could benefit all students,” she said.

They both gave some insight into the challenges of creating the program.

“One of the greatest challenges that I faced in the process of developing ChantSafe was ensuring that adequate resources were provided in each area of concern, as well as identifying all possible areas of concern. It was important to our team that we minimized potential barriers as much as possible while also providing content that was easily understand,” Taylor said.

Filling had a slightly different perspective.

“To me, the most challenging thing I faced in the process was narrowing down the language and making it relatable and understandable by students. I was passionate about keeping the word count down because when a student is in a crisis the last thing we want them doing is taking time to read paragraphs or navigate through various links,” she said.

Both students have high hopes for the program.

“My hopes for the ChantSafe program are that it continues to grow over time in a sense that more resources become accessible. Although, we hope that our students do not experience emergency situations, we are grateful to have this program at their fingertips if a situation were to arise,” Taylor said.

Filling agrees.

“My hopes for this website and program are that students feel more prepared and equipped when they are faced with a crisis situation. I never want a student to be in these situations, however, when they are, I hope they know to use this website as a resource,” she said. “Everyone should be aware of ChantSafe because it is an incredible asset for students. We, as a committee, spent numerous hours making this website as streamlined and effective as possible, and we want students to feel safer and have more knowledge when it comes to their safety on campus as well as in the local community.”

Carter wants students to be aware of this new resource and to take advantage of it.

“The most important thing to know is that it is mobile first, the idea being that people pretty much always have their phones with them and it’s not just for on campus. It’s for anywhere students are if they’re experiencing an emergency. If there’s an emergency, call 911 but it’s nice that all resources and information are in one place,” she said. “We want to make sure students are aware of not just the crisis section, but also the general safety information.”

If you are ever in a situation and don’t know what to do, or just want to have information on resources and general safety, check out the website. Link is https://www.coastal.edu/chantsafe/.