QPR Training for Suicide Prevention

The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community is one of our highest priorities. This includes their mental health. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and our district is committed to raising awareness and providing support for mental health.

Our back to school professional development day in August offered ten sessions in QPR training. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. QPR provides the knowledge and resources needed to help prevent suicide. The training is designed to help someone recognize suicidal signs in another person, ask if they are considering suicide, persuade them to find help, and then refer them to mental health services.

We recognize that QPR is just as important as CPR, because both can save a life, but both require someone to intervene. Therefore, Superintendent Ryan Noss requires all staff to participate in QPR training this school year, and the training is to be annually refreshed.

Our district is also implementing two new programs. The Great Body Shop curriculum for K-8 students provides age-appropriate education surrounding physical, social, emotional, and mental health. We also will be implementing a 3-year project with Sources of Strength for youth suicide prevention. This is a strength-based model that emphasizes strength within communities. The project motivates students to develop multiple strengths and seek support from their peers as well as adults.

Our district is committed to upstream mental health support, where our mission is to remove the stigma around mental health, encourage seeking help, and teach healthy coping strategies. By partnering with resources within our community, we work towards helping students, families, and staff find the support they need.

Thank you to Samaritan Health, Trillium Family Services, and CAPS at OSU for helping with QPR training. For more information about QPR training, visit QPR Institute. For mental health resources and support, visit Suicide Prevention Lifeline.