Suicide prevention training opportunities to be offered in Lincoln County

LINCOLN COUNTY – Healthy Minds for Lincoln County, Aspirus Merrill Hospital and the Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) are partnering to offer Question, Persuade, and Refer training at no cost this spring.

A release from LCHD said Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) are the three steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.

“Just as people trained in CPR help save lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help,” LCHD stated.

Through the training, participants will recognize the warning signs of suicide, increase awareness of stigma and understand suicide as a public health issue, know how to offer hope, know how to access local and national referral resources and know how to get help and save a life.

The trainings will be instructed by Heidi Pritzl, Licensed Clinical Social Worker for Aspirus Health, and offered at no cost, thanks to support from Aspirus Merrill Hospital.

The training schedule is as follows:

• Virtual only, Tuesday, March 11, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Registration deadline: Friday, Feb. 28.
• Tomahawk Public Library, 300 W. Lincoln Ave., Tomahawk, Friday, April 4, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Breakfast provided. Registration deadline: Monday, March 24.
• B. Scott Free Library, 106 1^st St., Merrill, Friday, April 4, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch provided. Registration deadline: Monday, March 24.

Registration is required and can be completed at www.bit.ly/LCQPRTraining.  

Space is limited to 20 participants per training. Trainings will be canceled if fewer than five participants have registered.

For more information or assistance with registration, contact Kristin Bath, Lincoln County Public Health Educator, at 715-539-1373 or kristin.bath@co.lincoln.wi.us.

To learn more about QPR, visit www.qprinstitute.com.