(Note: This guest post was written by London Saunders Roth, Local Integration Leader, Louisville Bold Goal, Humana. London is a member of the Louisville Health Advisory Board Behavioral Health committee.)
A community-wide coalition focused on suicide prevention is organizing a broad-based community effort centered around National Suicide Prevention Week: September 9-15, 2018. The Louisville Health Advisory Board (LHAB) Behavioral Health committee seeks to help Louisville set a world record by training the most individuals in one week in the technique of Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR). Similar to CPR, QPR is a 90-minute training course designed to support an emergency response to someone in crisis, and it can save lives.
According to recently published data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates are on the increase, and more than half of people who died by suicide did not have a known mental health condition. For the years 2008-2014, Jefferson County ranked 11th out of 50 peer counties in terms of highest rates of suicide. This is a change from the prior ranking of 8th; however, the suicide mortality rates were higher nationally. Essentially, while other counties increased at a higher level, Louisville’s suicide mortality rate still increased. These statistics are what inspired a cross-sector of community partners to come together and set an objective to design and implement a community-wide, evidence-based and data-driven program to eliminate suicides in Louisville.
Many people are uncomfortable discussing suicide, even when family or friends may be in crisis. However, the technique of “Question, Persuade, Refer” (QPR; www.qprinstitute.com) can improve a person’s comfort and confidence in broaching this difficult subject. QPR is an intervention that can improve the “Chain of Survival,” similar to CPR’s impact on increasing public’s confidence to provide life-saving interventions. QPR focuses on three things: how to recognize warning signs of suicide, how to offer hope, and how to refer to resources to help to save a life. Early recognition of suicide warning signs is key to saving a life.
Please join Louisville, and the Louisville Health Advisory Board, in saving lives this September. If you are interested in getting involved in this effort to increase public awareness and the community’s skills in suicide prevention, please visit www.qprlou.com to sign up for a FREE training or email LouisvilleZeroSuicide@gmail.com with questions.
Additionally, LHAB and Kentuckiana Health Collaborative will offer QPR training immediately following the KHC Community Health Forum on September 11, which will examine findings of new, rigorous qualitative research that evaluated unique youth perspectives on mental health, as well as those of adult allies. You can register for the complimentary Community Health Forum here. Space is limited for the following QPR training session. If you would like to join in on this life-saving training, click here.
Please remember that there are resources for you, family, and friends related to suicide prevention. The national suicide prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255 and a local (Louisville) crisis line number at Centerstone (formerly Seven Counties) is 502-589-4313.
The Louisville Health Advisory Board is a cross-sector group of community organizations and leaders working to improve physical, mental and social well-being where residents of Kentuckiana live, work, worship, learn and play. The Behavioral Health committee is a part of this board, and its mission is to design and implement a community-wide, evidence-based and data-driven program to eliminate suicides in Louisville.
