NORMAN — The Southwest Prevention Center at the University of Oklahoma OUtreach is hosting a series of training sessions geared toward suicide prevention.
There will be three one-hour QPR Gatekeeper trainings on Nov. 1 and an all-day QPR Certified Gatekeeper “Instructor” Training on Nov. 15. QPR Gatekeeper Training sessions will be held 11 a.m. to noon, 2 to 3 p.m. or 6 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 1. QPR Certified Gatekeeper Instructor Training will be held 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 15.
Both events will be held at the College of Continuing Education Forum, 1704 Asp Ave., on the Norman campus.
The purpose of the training is to offer a best practices suicide prevention strategy and protocol to community gatekeepers who provide services to or otherwise have frequent access to youth and young adults, especially those who may be vulnerable to or at risk for suicide and/or suicide ideation.
QPR gatekeeper training includes early identification of those at risk for suicide, how to ask the question about suicide intent, and how to get someone to helping resources. QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is a strategy for getting someone who is thinking of suicide to get the help he or she needs.
It is recommended that persons interested in becoming a certified QPR Gatekeeper “Instructor” for their department, school, office or campus have either attended a previous one-hour gatekeeper training or will attend one of the three one-hour QPR Gatekeeper trainings on Nov. 1 prior to taking the day-long QPR Gatekeeper Instructor course on Nov. 15.
In the one-hour course, a QPR-trained gatekeeper will learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, know how to offer hope and know how to get help and save a life.
As a QPR-trained Certified Gatekeeper Instructor:
· The QPR certification course trains instructors to teach QPR for suicide prevention to their community, such as coworkers, peers, students, staff, etc.
· Participants will learn about the nature of suicidal communications, what forms these communications take, and how they may be used for QPR intervention.
· To gain perspective, participants are introduced to the history of suicide, suicide prevention, and the spectrum of modern day public health suicide prevention education efforts. The history, background and research support for QPR are reviewed.
· Participants then learn to market QPR, target potential students, and how to teach the QPR curriculum.
· Participants also learn to deal with the sensitive nature of this topic, survivor issues, and how to make immediate interventions and referrals.
· Each participant has the opportunity to practice the learned skills through role-plays.
After a QPR Certified Gatekeeper Instructor application is received and approved, a formal trainer agreement will be emailed to the applicant to officially confirm the commitment to conduct two classes a year for two years.
Final class enrollment will be confirmed upon receipt of the signed trainer agreement. To be in compliance with the grant sustainability requirements, the formal trainer agreement states that if a trainer does not complete his or her two-year obligation, the institution will be billed for the initial certification fee of $500.
To register and/or for questions email or call Darlynn Dietrich, Cleveland County Suicide Prevention Coordinator, at 694-1023 or darlynnd@ou.edu.
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