Makin’ It Happen has turned adversity into opportunity in 2020! In December, Makin’ It Happen conducted three, one-hour Virtual QPR Suicide Prevention Trainings that included an important self-care portion, as part of our new Resiliency Essentials Program. One was held for the community, with 31 in attendance and the other two were held for youth ages 14-18 and their adult advisors, with 27 in attendance.
Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) is a training that works to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical, and proven suicide prevention training. QPR teaches participants that the signs of crisis are all around. This training has versions for both youth and adults. It is both engaging and interactive. Participants will gain skills that enable them to support those experiencing a mental health crisis. Additionally it connects participants to available resources and teaches them where to go for help.
QPR Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention is listed in the National Registry of Evidence-based Practices and Policies. Official QPR training outcomes as determined by independent research reviewers of published studies for National Registry of Evidence-based Practice and Policies found that trained gatekeepers have increased knowledge, confidence and gatekeeper skills per these measures:
- Increased declarative knowledge
- Increased perceived knowledge
- Increased self-efficacy
- Increased diffusion of Gatekeeper training information
- Increased Gatekeeper skills (ability to engage in active listening, ask clarifying questions, make an appropriate referral)
Makin’ It Happen staff members Jane Skantze, Community Impact Manager and Debbie Baird, Resiliency Essentials Coordinator provided these three interactive and engaging trainings, that gave the skills and tools to enable all attendees to support themselves, a friend, peer, neighbor, classmate and family member and were given available resources and where to go for help when someone is at risk or in crisis.
Attendees of the Makin’ It Happen QPR training had this to say “It was excellent, informative and provided me with some great tools to use going forward”. Makin’ It Happen plans to continue to implement QPR in the greater Manchester region for 2021.
