NAUGATUCK VALLEY HEALTH DISTRICT TO HOLD QPR SUICIDE PREVENTION GATEKEEPER TRAINING

DURING NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK

Contact: Gabrielle Diaz, Public Health Educator
Phone: (203) 881-3255 ext. 108
PDF Press Release

In honor of September being National Suicide Prevention Month, the Naugatuck Valley Health District will be offering a QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training for all community members during National Suicide Prevention Week.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) recognizes the month of September as National Suicide Prevention Month: a moment in time in which we rally the public to create awareness of this leading cause of death and inspire more and more people to learn how they can play a role in their communities in helping to save lives. Alternatively recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week (generally the week after Labor Day) and World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10^th), AFSP takes advantage of the full month to offer understanding and guidance for the public through special events, personal stories and perspectives, sharable social graphics and other materials designed to help people know what they can do if they or someone they know is struggling, and how to have authentic, caring conversations about suicide and mental health.

QPR, standing for “Question, Persuade, and Refer”, is a suicide prevention training that recognizes 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. Each year thousands of Americans save lives of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor. The QPR Institute strives to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical, and proven suicide prevention training. They believe that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know.

Suicide prevention is important every day of the year. National Suicide Prevention Month gives us an opportunity to shine a special, encouraging light on this topic that affects us all, and send a clear, hopeful message that help is available, and suicide can be prevented.

The training is scheduled to be held virtually on Tuesday, September 6^th, 2022 from 5-6:30 pm. If you or someone you know is interested in attending the QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training, please contact Gabrielle Diaz, Public Health Educator for the Naugatuck Valley Health District. You may register via phone at (203) 811-3255 ext. 108 as registration is required for this training.

For additional information on QPR and National Suicide Prevention Week, please visit https://qprinstitute.com/about-qpr and https://nspw.afsp.org/ respectfully. The Naugatuck Valley Health District will be sharing information all month long on our social media pages and invite you to follow us and spread the positive messages along with us throughout the month of September.