QPR
QPR was borne in Seattle, Washington several years ago. It was developed by Dr. Paul Quinett and was that community’s effort to address the crisis of a rising suicide rate. From the initial success in Seattle QPR has spread throughout the country and is now recognized widely as one of the most effective ways to teach ordinary people the skills they need to help someone at suicidal risk to stay safe.
QPR teaches someone three basic skills:
- How to question a person about suicide and what is going on with them. Q
- How to persuade that person to get help. P
- How to refer that person to the appropriate resources for help. R
QPR compares itself to the Heimlich maneuver in the sense that it is a series of basic techniques that almost anyone can learn, that requires no real specialized training, and that by the application of it saves lives. QPR has been taught to many different populations and has been successful in almost every instance of decreasing the suicide statistics of that area. It is not meant to be a form of counseling or treatment and does not attempt to substitute for that. Its’ focus is to get people past the moment of crisis and to the help they need to turn their life to positive directions.
During QPR training you learn a lot about suicide. You learn warning signs and you also learn some of more common myths about suicide. You learn, for example, that suicide to the suicidal person seems, not like a problem to be avoided, but a solution to be embraced. At the same time you learn that although somebody might see suicide as a solution, no one wants to see it as a solution and you learn how to appeal to that natural ambivalence.
The training itself last about 1-1.5 hours. It can be done in large groups, but the ideal groups are one that allow for maximum interaction. My wife Linda and I have been trained as QPR trainers by the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network. We are available to train your group and would be delighted to talk with you further about that. If you have questions or would like to learn more please let us know.
Contact us through hopeworkscommunity@gmail.com