In the fall of 2006, a teacher in
Wisconsin was participating in an after school staff
training to learn about suicide prevention.
The training called QPR - stands for question, persuade, and refer - emphasized identification of risk factors, warning signs, and protective factors of suicide. The teacher received hands on skills on how to ask the question about suicide and how to persuade someone to get help.
That afternoon was priceless to this certain teacher.
After getting the information, the teacher felt she should talk to her own daughter because she recognized some of the warning signs.
When they had a conversation, the daughter disclosed that she was thinking about killing herself.
In fact, she had gone so far as to make a farewell video for family and friends and stockpiled pills. Her suicide attempt was imminent.
The teacher's intervention prevented the attempt. The family and student got help and they are in the process of working on the issues at hand. Recently, when the school district was struck by another tragedy, school.staff checked in on this young woman to make sure she was okay. She indicated that she was and that she now understood that suicide was not a good solution to her problems. The intervention has had a long-term impact.
Suicide prevention works; as illustrated above, it can save a life!
