HARTFORD, Ky. — Question. Persuade. Refer. Those are three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. We can all save lives.
The Ohio County Mental Health/Suicide Awareness Committee will hold a Question-Persuade-Refer Suicide Prevention Training event at the Ohio County High School cafe at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, 2021. The suicide prevention training event will be free for all who wish to attend, including community members, students, parents, professionals, etc. The training will be provided by Brentwood Springs of Newburgh, Indiana.
The QPR mission is to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical, and proven suicide prevention training. The signs of crisis are all around and quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know.
“Participants will learn skills to identify and address suicidal ideation out in the real world,” said Ashley Davis, a mental health therapist at Kentucky Counseling Partners LLC and the chair of the Ohio County Mental Health/Suicide Awareness Committee.
The Ohio County Mental Health/Suicide Awareness Committee was formed by Ohio County Judge-Executive David Johnston at the June 9, 2020, meeting of the Ohio County Fiscal Court. Johnston appointed the committee to look into the “unprecedented number of suicides in the last couple of years in our county.”
The committee was tasked with meeting with health care officials, Ohio County Coroner Elvis Doolin, and others dealing with mental health issues, and look into ways to help the community deal with mental health issues and increase suicide prevention awareness.
The QPR Suicide Prevention Training is the latest event provided by the committee which also included a suicide awareness walk in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the committee’s ability to schedule events, but the committee members hope everyone who is able can attend Tuesday’s training session. If there is a big turnout, it’s probable other events like this will be scheduled for the future.
“I am hoping that anyone who works in public settings, older students, or anyone who interacts with people, will show up to help build a better knowledge base in the community to be aware of mental health issues and to be a part of breaking the stigma,” Davis said.
For more information on the Ohio County Mental Health/Suicide Awareness Committee, visit their Facebook page.
