{"id":74389,"date":"2024-03-06T09:14:40","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T16:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=74389"},"modified":"2024-07-29T17:33:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T23:33:55","slug":"free-qpr-training-aims-to-help-reduce-rate-of-suicide-in-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/free-qpr-training-aims-to-help-reduce-rate-of-suicide-in-colorado\/","title":{"rendered":"Free training program aims to help reduce the rate of suicide in Colorado. It’s called QPR."},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Robin
Robin Schawe, a licensed professional counselor, teaches a free suicide prevention training course for UCHealth. QPR – Question. Persuade. Refer – is designed to help people have conversations with people who are indicating they may attempt suicide. Photo: UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The suicide rate in the United States has risen 35% in the last two decades. It\u2019s a major public health issue.<\/p>\n

In Colorado, 1287 individuals took their lives<\/a> in 2022. That\u2019s more than the number of deaths by motor vehicle and homicide combined. Men accounted for 997 deaths, compared with 290 deaths for women. El Paso County has the highest number of suicides with 189.<\/p>\n

Every day in UCHealth\u2019s 14 hospitals, providers are caring for patients who have attempted suicide. To help prevent suicide from happening, UCHealth offers a free, gatekeeper training called QPR<\/a>. Question. Persuade. Refer.<\/p>\n

The free training program is designed to teach people how to talk to a friend, family member or co-worker who may be considering suicide, and to ultimately reduce the number of suicides, which take a staggering 48,000 lives annually<\/a> in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n

So, what should you do if your friend, family member or co-worker drops a few hints that they\u2019re thinking about suicide? Or they\u2019ve deeply withdrawn from activities that bring them joy? What should you do if you see a dramatic shift in a person\u2019s behavior?<\/p>\n

Start asking questions, says Robin Schawe, a licensed professional counselor at UCHealth, who offers QPR training.<\/p>\n

In recent months, Schawe and UCHealth have been encouraging all employees to take the QPR training and it is offered for free to community members, businesses, churches, police officers, firefighters. Anyone. The trainings can be in-person or virtual.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the many ways that UCHealth extends care outside the walls of hospitals and clinics and into communities.<\/p>\n

\"Robin
Robin Schawe, a licensed professional counselor at UCHealth, teaching a QPR training course. UCHealth has an initiative to train employees in suicide prevention. Photo: UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really beneficial,\u2019\u2019 Schawe says.<\/p>\n

UCHealth has received grants through Zero Suicide to pay for booklets and materials to provide the trainings, which are aimed at saving lives and preventing the sheer despair that accompanies any suicide.<\/p>\n

\u201cStatistics say that every time a suicide happens, 150 people are affected by it \u2013 family, friends, teachers, health care providers, you name it, they\u2019re affected,\u2019\u2019 Schawe said.<\/p>\n

As part of follow-up care, UCHealth sends follow-up notes to hospitalized patients. A recent card from Schawe read: \u201cIt has been a few days since you were in the hospital and I hope you are doing better. This card is to remind you that you are not alone. Please let me know if you need extra support or resources.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

UCHealth Today asked Schawe to walk us through QPR training. Just as millions of people have become familiar with lifesaving CPR, Schawe is intent on people learning QPR to reduce suicides.<\/p>\n

What is QPR training? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a way to learn how to talk openly and honestly to an individual contemplating suicide in three simple steps:<\/p>\n

Question: <\/strong>If you notice a dramatic shift in another person\u2019s behavior, or if the person has dropped hints about suicide, begin the conversation by saying: \u201cI\u2019ve noticed that your behavior has changed a lot from how you used to act. What\u2019s going on?\u2019\u2019 Schawe says. \u201cStart by just asking questions and not being afraid of the answers.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Persuade: <\/strong>If a person indicates they\u2019re suicidal, persuade them to get help.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we know is that a lot of people who feel like they are suicidal don\u2019t feel like they deserve the help. So, how can we get them to seek help? The best thing to do is to go with them to a medical or mental health provider.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re not willing to get the help, it\u2019s a matter of calling 911,\u2019\u2019 Schawe said. \u201cIt\u2019s not to get them in trouble but to check their welfare. Where available, you can ask for a co-responder unit (a law enforcement officer who is paired with a mental health counselor) because that is their job to go out and assess and figure out what is best for this individual.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Refer: <\/strong>Help the individual find a place where they can receive mental health treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a matter of reaching out and asking for help,\u2019\u2019 Schawe said. \u201cThere is a perception in Colorado that there are limited services for mental health care. Colorado definitely doesn\u2019t have as many resources as we need, but we\u2019re getting better. It\u2019s a matter of finding the right resource for that person. I am happy to help any person in the community who needs help with that.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

\"UCHealth
UCHealth sends notes of encouragement to patients who have been hospitalized and cared for by a behavioral health specialist. Photo: UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Schawe said it is important for the individual considering suicide to reach out.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany times we have family members reaching out and asking for help for the individual but a lot times, until the individual reaches out, there\u2019s not much we can do. A lot of it comes down to a person hitting rock bottom, and when they see where they\u2019re at, they ask for help.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

What are the warning signs that someone is suicidal?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

During QPR training, Schawe and other behavioral health experts train people to recognize warning signs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we think of warning signs we typically think of them as verbal, but what we really know is that there are behavioral signs, there are situational signs, but whether a person verbalizes \u2018I\u2019m going to kill myself,\u2019 that is not always the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times, verbal signs are indirect, so it is important to ask questions.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n