Centro Escolar University (CEU), through its Guidance and Counseling Department (GCD), partnered with the Mendiola Consortium Guidance Committee and Unilab Foundation Inc.’s Heads Up PH to conduct the “RACE Against Suicide: A Gatekeeper Training Toolkit for Suicide Prevention in Schools” on July 30–31, 2026, at the CEU LAH Seminar Rooms 2 and 3. The two-day training workshop gathered guidance counselors and designated representatives from Mendiola Consortium schools to strengthen their knowledge and skills in suicide prevention and mental health support in educational communities.
Supported by event sponsors V-Psyche Innovative Solutions Inc. and Clarity Counseling Services, the workshop marked the first in-person training of the Mendiola Consortium Guidance Committee since the pandemic. The gathering provided an opportunity for participants to renew their collaboration and enhance their capacity to respond to students experiencing mental health concerns.
Mr. Ferdinand Medina, CEU Guidance Coordinator, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of protecting student well-being. He underscored the role of school personnel in fostering safe and supportive learning environments where students feel heard, valued, and encouraged to seek help when needed.
Dr. Sheila Marie Guevarra-Hocson, a mental health advocate and project senior technical consultant for Unilab Foundation, served as the keynote speaker and lead trainer. She guided participants through the RACE Against Suicide toolkit, which focuses on early identification and intervention within a tiered school mental health framework. The training covered the recognition of suicide warning signs using the IS PATH WARM? mnemonic, risk assessment using the six-question Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), empathetic communication to encourage help-seeking, and referral of high-risk cases to appropriate counselors and medical professionals.
Participants also engaged in role-playing exercises, case studies, and group activities on crisis response and collaborative safety planning. Other topics included the establishment of a School Crisis Management Team (SCMT), Psychological First Aid (PFA), the management of psychiatric emergencies on campus, parent or guardian notification in high-risk cases, and postvention guidelines to help prevent suicide contagion.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Carmencita Salonga expressed appreciation to Unilab Foundation, the Mendiola Consortium, CEU, and Dr. Guevarra-Hocson for their contributions to the initiative.
Through the training, CEU and its Mendiola Consortium partners reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening school-based mental health support and equipping educators with practical approaches to suicide prevention, early intervention, and appropriate referral.