QPR Training — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide

Men's Mental Wellness

It's National Suicide Awareness Month and we at Cook Children’s are not immune to the devastation, pain, and uncertainty that accompanies our friends, family, and co-workers who experience suicidal thoughts or die by suicide. 

Simple, real conversations that create space for an individual to express suicidal thoughts can be the difference between life and death. 
How do you start these types of conversations?

Question, Persuade, Refer

Cook Children's is offering an evidence-based suicide prevention training that teaches staff how to engage, interpret, and respond to peers experiencing suicidal ideations. It's called Question, Persuade, Refer Training, or QPR for short. QPR teaches three steps that anyone can take to help save a life from suicide.  QPR training is being introduced first to employees at Cook Children's Medical Center-Fort Worth this fall, and will expand to additional locations starting next year.

QPR is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons created in 1995. The intent is to identify and interrupt the crisis and direct that person to the proper care. Just as people trained in CPR help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR help save lives as they learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. 

QPR Training Through Cook Children's

Mental health and suicide can be challenging topics to address with colleagues.  It is important to reduce the stigma that surrounds suicide and self-harm, and instead normalizes these conversations. That's why we are making this training available to our employees.

Each QPR training lasts one hour and can be taken during work time.  Participants will learn the warning signs of a suicide crisis, know what to say to someone who might be at risk for suicide, and how to how to get help.
The training will be offered in-person and through Zoom with a live trainer. The training will be available in English and Spanish and there is no cost to employees. 

You'll notice that the last step in QPR is to Refer, and a multidisciplinary team has been working on a referral process that guides staff when an on-shift colleague needs help. That's why the initial QPR training opportunities will be available for employees who work at the Medical Center-Fort Worth, and will coincide with a mental health crisis response plan specifically designed for Medical Center-Fort Worth  staff. Staff at the Medical Center-Fort Worth will be able to sign up to take part in the training via ULearn here.  

Rest assured, we did not forget about those of you who work in our other facilities. The more people trained in QPR, the more lives saved. We want to do right by every employee, ensuring we are able to work with each site’s leadership to develop a mental health crisis response plan that is mindful of the context and available resources at each location. 

Why Are We Offering this Training?
In short, we are offering this training because you matter. You are a sacred being who is full of value and worth. 
We want you and our entire community to connect in meaningful ways that bring about hope, eliminates stigma, fosters resiliency, and positively impacts the people in our lives—in and outside of Cook Children’s. 

 Cook Children's has many mental health resources available for employees. Click here on CookNet to learn more.