COMMUNITY

Salem-Keizer School District plans suicide prevention trainings

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Salem-Keizer Public Schools (SKPS) will be hosting a free suicide prevention training, Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) session at Claggett Creek Middle School,1810 Alder Dr. N.E. at 5:30 p.m.

Throughout February and March, Salem Health and SKPS are partnering to provide QPR training, a simple process that anyone 14 years of age and older can be trained to use to help save the life of a person who is in crisis.  

During each training session, attendees will learn: myths and facts about suicide, how to recognize signs someone may be thinking about suicide, how to ask questions to assess the situation, how to persuade the person to stay alive long enough to get help and how to refer them to a professional for help to get them through the crisis and treat any underlying mental illness.

Events will be held in English or Spanish and free dinner and childcare will be provided, with the exception of the student session on March 3. Due to the format of the training, translation services will not be offered.

Other QPR training dates and locations: South Salem High School Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m.; North Salem High School Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m.; West Salem High School Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m.; and South Salem High School March 3 at 3:30 p.m. (all student session).

All sessions require registration and can be made online: tinyurl.com/qprskps 

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 and one out of six students nationwide (grades 9–12) seriously considered suicide in the past year. 

When a child, friend or family member confides thoughts of suicide, it’s important to believe them and get help. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.