The Hope Squad of Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties is hosting a free Suicide Prevention QPR Training on Tuesday, Mar. 12 at the Ponderosa Grill in Huntington at 6:00 pm. Castle Country Radio sat down with Suicide Prevention Specialist, Amanda McIntosh to get all the details.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer which is an educational program designed to help see and understand the warning signs of suicide. “Within this training, you learn the statistics around the states, the United States and then we bring it local into Utah, Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties. We talk about the most common signs for depression and suicide ideation. We teach how the appropriate way or the safe way to question someone’s suicidal intent, and persuade them to love and to get help. Then when and whom to refer them to for resources locally,” stated McIntosh. The training is sure to give you the necessary tools to help someone that may be in a suicidal crisis.

Statistics show that our area suffered tremendous loss over the last year. “Our data for 2023 was not good. It was higher in 2023 people that we lost to suicide, was higher in 2023 than we have seen since 2013 – 2014. That is something that we are looking at the state level, but also local level, where are we missing messaging, where are we missing people, and potential areas of scopes of people that we can get this training in the hands of,” said McIntosh. That is why offering free QPR Training events around the community is so very important. Families may wonder what age is appropriate for this training and honestly it’s up to the parents.

This is the second QPR Training event that has been held at the Ponderosa Grill in Huntington. Owner and operator, Sara Gordon talks about why the training is so important to her, “So I guess my story is where I come to this is because I lost my son a year ago by suicide, he’s name is Treven Brazier. I feel like I wished I would have had some of these resources, some of these skills. Like when I went to this last QPR Training I learned some questions I could ask and honestly, it’s helped me with my daughter, it’s helped me with talking to other people who have mental health problems. I personally have mental health problems so it was really insightful for me.”  She is looking forward to helping community members get the QPR training and hopes that many of them will take advantage of this free training being offered. There will be various discounts available at the restaurant during the event as well as free swag for participants.

For further information about the Free Suicide Prevention QPR Training contact McIntosh at the Southeast Utah Health Department at (435) 637-3671 or visit the Hope Squad of Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties Facebook page.