SULLIVAN 180 TRAINS QPR GATEKEEPER TRAINERS

11 New Gatekeeper Trainers Available to Teach QPR in the Community

[LIBERTY] Last week, eleven members of the Sullivan County community became QPR Gatekeeper Trainers. Those trained included school counselors, school social workers, a school nurse, and members from community organizations, including NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Crystal Run Healthcare, Catholic Charities, Sullivan 180, and Hudson Valley Community Services. These individuals are now able to lead the 90-minute QPR Gatekeeper training throughout the county and spread suicide prevention awareness. 

QPR Master Trainer Instructor Jill Holland said, “By training more individuals in our community to share the importance of the QPR suicide awareness and intervention training, we then have more individuals able to identify and interrupt the crisis and direct individuals to the proper care. I am excited that there will be more trainers in our community to help train others. The more individual trainers, the greater the chances for providing hope for those in need.”

QPR is a suicide prevention training that teaches three simple steps- Question, Persuade, and Refer. As a trained QPR Gatekeeper, you will learn to recognize the warning signs of suicide, know how to offer hope and know how to get help and save a life. 

Sullivan County has the highest suicide mortality rate in the Hudson Valley. It is imperative to bring prevention and awareness trainings into the county to support the suicide crisis. 

 “Sullivan 180 acknowledges the tremendous grief that families and communities feel when they experience a loss due to suicide. By empowering community members with the skills to talk openly about this issue, these new QPR trainers will help break down the stigma around mental health and ultimately save lives,” said Amanda Langseder, Sullivan 180 Managing Director. “We hope workplaces, schools, houses of worship and community groups will request a QPR training soon. Thanks to these incredible, selfless volunteers, we now have the facilitators to make a difference.” 

 If you are interested in becoming a QPR Gatekeeper or your organization is interested in setting up a 90-minute QPR Gatekeeper training, contact info@sullivan180.org or call (845) 295-2680.