QPR Instructor Training for Veterans & First Responders – 8 hours

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer: the three simple moves anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.

The skills and techniques used in suicide prevention can apply to the public, coworkers, family, and friends. Suicide and suicidal ideation can affect anyone regardless of gender, age, race, rank, etc. Everyone plays a role in suicide prevention. You do not have to be a mental health professional to save a life. Most of the time, it is not a mental health professional that a suicidal person expresses their thoughts and feelings to first—it is a friend, colleague, or family member. This training aims to equip veterans and first responders with the confidence and competence needed to initiate conversations about suicide with colleagues, instill hope, and refer at-risk colleagues to appropriate mental and behavioral health resources.

Attendees: 
Veterans, service members, law enforcement officers, firefighters, correctional officers, EMS, dispatchers, and veteran or first responder serving organizations.

Veterans
Suicide among Veterans is at a crisis level. Though we’ve come a long way in learning how to recognize the signs and what to do to help, we need to step up the effort to integrate suicide prevention practices within post-service culture, connect those in need to life-saving resources, and improve access to mental health care.

First Responders
First responders are the first people to assist at the scenes of emergencies. They include law enforcement, firefighters, correctional officers, EMS, dispatchers, and 911 operators. Therefore, they face an increased risk of experiencing behavioral health issues, including mental illness. Fear of being seen as weak or not up to the job of a first responder keeps many from seeking help.

Questions/General Information:
Jason Hughes, OCPSA
Director of Training and Veteran Relations
Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
jason.hughes@ohiospf.org