WCS Offers Suicide Prevention Training Throughout The 2019-20 School Year

September 12, 2019 at 9:08 p.m.

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Throughout the 2019-20 school year, Warsaw Community Schools has made it a goal to pursue mental and physical health and wellness within its community.

This is planned by training all staff within the district on how to respond and help a person contemplating suicide. After hosting several trainings and hearing feedback from staff, WCS decided to expand the program into the community.

In order to assist in equipping students, staff and the community with the tools needed to respond to a mental health crisis, WCS turned to motivational speaker, filmmaker and mental health advocate Kevin Hines. Hines shared his personal story of his own battle with mental health and thoughts of taking his life, impressing upon the audience his incredible will to live and his daily commitment toward mental wellness. While in Warsaw, Hines spoke to all WCS students in seventh through 12th grades, 800 Grace College students, 189 community members during a daytime event and 63 parent and community members during an evening event.

Following Hines’ speaking engagements in the area, WCS will host a free, public Suicide Prevention QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Gatekeeper Training event. This training is designed to equip the community with the ability to respond to an individual potentially in a mental health crisis. The event is made possible through a partnership with the Bowen Center Training Institute and K21 Health Foundation.

The Suicide Prevention Training: QPR Gatekeeper Training will take place Wednesday at 1 Administration Drive, Warsaw. There will be two opportunities to attend the free two-hour training. The first training will be from 8 to 10 a.m., and the second will be from 1 to 3 p.m. For licensed mental health professionals, CEUs will be provided.

Key components covered during the training will include: how to question, persuade and refer someone who may be suicidal; how to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide; the common causes of suicidal behavior; the warning signs of suicide; how to get help for someone in crisis. As a QPR-trained "gatekeeper," attendees will learn to recognize the warning signs of suicide, know how to offer hope and know how to help save a life.

Question, persuade and refer are the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. 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

Throughout the 2019-20 school year, Warsaw Community Schools has made it a goal to pursue mental and physical health and wellness within its community.

This is planned by training all staff within the district on how to respond and help a person contemplating suicide. After hosting several trainings and hearing feedback from staff, WCS decided to expand the program into the community.

In order to assist in equipping students, staff and the community with the tools needed to respond to a mental health crisis, WCS turned to motivational speaker, filmmaker and mental health advocate Kevin Hines. Hines shared his personal story of his own battle with mental health and thoughts of taking his life, impressing upon the audience his incredible will to live and his daily commitment toward mental wellness. While in Warsaw, Hines spoke to all WCS students in seventh through 12th grades, 800 Grace College students, 189 community members during a daytime event and 63 parent and community members during an evening event.

Following Hines’ speaking engagements in the area, WCS will host a free, public Suicide Prevention QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Gatekeeper Training event. This training is designed to equip the community with the ability to respond to an individual potentially in a mental health crisis. The event is made possible through a partnership with the Bowen Center Training Institute and K21 Health Foundation.

The Suicide Prevention Training: QPR Gatekeeper Training will take place Wednesday at 1 Administration Drive, Warsaw. There will be two opportunities to attend the free two-hour training. The first training will be from 8 to 10 a.m., and the second will be from 1 to 3 p.m. For licensed mental health professionals, CEUs will be provided.

Key components covered during the training will include: how to question, persuade and refer someone who may be suicidal; how to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide; the common causes of suicidal behavior; the warning signs of suicide; how to get help for someone in crisis. As a QPR-trained "gatekeeper," attendees will learn to recognize the warning signs of suicide, know how to offer hope and know how to help save a life.

Question, persuade and refer are the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. 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
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