Suicide Prevention & Training

HelpLine Suicide Prevention and Training supports the emotional health and well-being of youth and community members, while raising awareness about suicide, possible warning signs, and ways to get help. Through in-school presentations and screenings for signs of depression and suicide, we not only educate students but also connect those at risk with a counselor or mental health professional. We also work to increase the number of adults who can respond to someone who may be struggling.

HelpLine prevention programs are responsibly researched and highly effective in identifying and supporting those at risk for suicide. Our programs ensure that every person, without regard to exposure to the problem, has access to improving their mental wellness, knowledge, attitudes, and skills that will ultimately lead to saving lives and bringing change to the community.

Suicide Prevention Programs:

Signs of Suicide (Middle and High School)
QPR – Question, Persuade, and Refer Training
Suicide prevention and depression awareness at community events or presentations
Mindwise SOS

Signs of Suicide In-school Program

The Signs of Suicide program is offered to middle and high school students through Delaware and Morrow counties in Ohio. The program is evidence-based leveraging the Safe Messaging guidelines to provide teens with age-appropriate skills to get help.

Through education and screenings for signs of depression and suicide, we work to connect students at risk with a counselor or mental health professional.

Signs of Suicide Parent Program

The SOS Parent Program addresses how parents/guardians, caregivers, and other trusted adults can be supportive of children who may be struggling with their mental health or are worried about a friend. This presentation will include an overview of the middle and high school "Signs of Suicide" program, as well as practical advice that will better equip adults to assist young people in situations concerning mental health.

For information regarding the SOS Parent Training, visit https://www.mindwise.org/parents/ or contact suicideprevention@helplinedelmor.org

QPR

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. We offer suicide intervention training to help provide anyone in our community with the tools needed to identify a person at risk of suicide and provide intervention and referral.

Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

What is a Gatekeeper?

According to the Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001), a gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide.Gatekeepers can be anyone, but include parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide.

As a QPR-trained Gatekeeper you will learn to:

Recognize the warning signs of suicide
Know how to offer hope
Know how to get help and save a life In short, the more people trained in QPR, the more lives saved.

How is QPR like CPR?

Much of the world is familiar with CPR — short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation — an emergency medical intervention created in 1957 by Peter Safar. The process is designed to stabilize people who aren’t breathing or breathing intermittently and who may be in cardiac arrest until the person can reach a hospital or other care.

Similarly, QPR is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons created in 1995 by Paul Quinnett. An abbreviation for Question, Persuade and Refer, the intent is also to identify and interrupt the crisis and direct that person to the proper care.

Both are part of a “Chain of Survival”

Both CPR and QPR are part of systems designed to increase the chance of survival in the event of a crisis. In the Chain of Survival model of emergency cardiac care, the likelihood that a victim will survive a cardiac arrest increases when each of the following four links is connected:

Early Recognition and Early access - The sooner 9-1-1 or your local emergency number is called the sooner early advanced life support arrives.
Early CPR - This helps maintain blood flow to the vital organs.
External Defibrillator - A device ready for use when advanced medical personnel arrive.
Early Advanced Life Support - Administered by trained medical personnel who provide further care and transport to hospital facilities.

Similarly, with QPR, the following Chain of Survival elements must also be in place:

Early recognition of Suicide - The sooner warning signs are detected and help sought, the better the outcome of a suicidal crisis will be.
Early QPR - Asking someone about the presence of suicidal thoughts and feelings opens up a conversation that may lead to a referral for help.
Early Intervention and Referral - Referral to HelpLine at 1.800.684.2324 or calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for evaluation and possible referral is critical.
Early Advanced Life Support - As with any illness, early detection and treatment results in better outcomes.

Early Recognition

We cannot overemphasize the need for early recognition of suicide warning signs.

A well-executed, strong and positive response to the early warning signs of a pending suicide event may render subsequent links in the Chain of Survival unnecessary. Most people thinking about suicide are suffering from an undiagnosed and/or untreated mental illness or substance abuse disorder for which excellent treatments exist.

The prompt recognition of the scream of a smoke detector can eliminate the need to suppress a raging fire. In just that way, by recognizing early the warning signs of suicide, opening a supporting dialogue with a suicidal person and securing consultation a professional may prevent the need for an emergency room visit or psychiatric hospitalization.

When is the next community-wide QPR training?

How Do I Schedule Training?

To schedule your free training, click here or for more information, contact the Suicide Prevention Department at suicideprevention@helplinedelmor.org

Suicide Prevention & Training

Signs of Suicide In-school Program

Signs of Suicide Parent Program

QPR

Our Partners