Thursday, September 22, 2016 Taking Action to Save Lives
Students dominated an audience of more than 80 members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community who completed training for the QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Program on Sept. 20-21. Sponsored by the Women’s Center and the LGBTQA+ Resource Center, the voluntary training provided education on the warning signs and situational clues to take action in saving a life.
Presenters Sandy Morrissey, Jan Frayser and Scott Stemper visited the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus on behalf of the Nebraska Youth Suicide Prevention Project Region V, a grant-funded project focused on bystander intervention. During the training the presenters emphasized the need for Nebraskans to be aware of warning signs because the state ranks in the top 10 for child suicide (ages 10-24); and suicide is the most preventable cause of death.
Volunteers learned the process of Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) – three simple steps anyone can learn to save a life. During the 90-minute course presenters reinforced that by asking the difficult question and demonstrating that you care, you could make all the difference.
Many representatives from wellness-related recognized student organizations were present at the training, including members of Active Minds, Out of the Darkness and Wellness Advocates. If you have additional students, staff or faculty members interested in training, please contact Jan Deeds in the Women’s Center.