By Abbie Steinly, Staff writer
The Counseling Center held a suicide awareness training on Tuesday, March 27, that students could sign up for to learn more about recognizing and talking about suicide with their peers.
The training, referred to as QPR, short for Question, Persuade, Refer, offered two hourlong sessions that addressed how anyone on campus, students, faculty or staff, can have a conversation with someone who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide.
“QPR is a short time commitment packed with valuable information and practical skill building that is part of the many ways we are addressing suicide and mental illness with our students, staff and faculty. We want to equip everyone with tools to save a life and contribute to our caring community,” said Cheryl Stumpf, a therapist at the counseling center.
The event was sponsored by the Amy E. Winans Center for Health and Wellness. Amy Winans was a member of the Susquehanna faculty who believed in and supported actions that led to individuals being healthy and doing well physically, mentally and academically. After her death, her family wanted to carry on her work and in doing so, supports initiatives such as QPR.
Sophomore Emma Chabolla attended one of the training sessions Tuesday afternoon.
“The biggest thing I took away from the training was learning how to navigate a hard but necessary conversation. This is something people are uncomfortable talking about, so I’m glad we are offering this training for people to have a better understanding of mental illness,” Chabolla said.
A goal of the QPR training was for as many people as on campus as possible to become trained in suicide prevention.
QPR is designed to educate individuals to become gatekeepers in someone’s life.
According to the QPR website, gatekeepers are “parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide.”
The website also compared QPR and CPR because they are both designed to increase the chance of survival.
Pearson-Wharton, the dean of health and wellness and the director of the Counseling Center, worked with Tonya Valentine, program coordinator of the Counseling Center, to plan the strategy for the sessions.
Pearson-Wharton, Stumpf and Gina Bavero, a counselor, all worked together to lead the sessions. They are all certified in QPR training and find it important to pass these skills onto students, faculty and staff.
“Students are boots on the ground who are with their peers listening, observing and sensing when something is wrong on a daily basis. They have the greatest credibility with their peers and are the ones who will most likely pick up on suicidal thoughts, feelings and behaviors,” Stumpf said.
After finding success and positive feedback from the first day of QPR sessions, the counseling center will be holding another day of training.
“In order to continue efforts at Susquehanna University and to educate staff, faculty and students on how to effectively talk to those who may be contemplating suicide, the Counseling Center will be offering one more suicide prevention training with QPR next Tuesday, April 3. This training will be from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Degenstein Meeting Rooms one through three,” Valentine said. Registration for this session will be open until Monday, April 2 and students and staff can register by emailing Valentine at valentinet@susqu.edu.
Stumpf hopes that students recognize the importance of these training sessions and attend the next ones.
“We hope that participants in the training will walk away with a better sense of what to look for and the confidence to ask the difficult question. When you apply QPR, you plant the seeds of hope. When you lead someone to recognize there is hope there is a greater chance that they will choose to live!”