Research shows that early detection of mental health issues gives a much greater prognosis for recovery and that early intervention can sometimes be critical. The Counseling Center believes that no student who wants or needs help should be left to struggle alone.
In Summer 2008, the Counseling Center launched a major suicide prevention initiative for the UNCW community, Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR), a nationally-recognized suicide prevention training program. The ultimate goal is to train as many people on campus as possible in QPR.
Much like CPR, QPR is an easy process that can be applied by everyone, including people outside of mental health professions. QPR is a behavioral intervention that focuses on getting a distressed individual referred for professional help. It is intended to teach front-line people (e.g., resident advisors, academic advisors, friends, religious professionals, faculty/staff, parents, etc.) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues.
QPR provides direction regarding how to Question a person about suicidal thoughts, Persuade them to get help, and Refer the person for help.
Presented by a certified QPR instructor, each training session includes information regarding:
- The problem of suicide nationally, in North Carolina, and at UNCW
- Common myths and facts associated with suicide
- Warning signs of suicide
- Tips for asking the suicide question
- Methods for persuading suicidal individuals to get help
- Ways of referring at risk people to local resources
- Time for questions
Each participant will receive a QPR booklet and card with information on suicide prevention, as well as information about treatment providers and support in the Wilmington community. After attending a QPR training, individuals will be certified as QPR Gatekeepers. To register for QPR Training please, go to WaveLink and search under QPR.
To request QPR training for your department or group, please fill out our Outreach Request Form
REQUEST FORM
