Southborough Youth & Family Services is encouraging people to make good use of their time home online. The agency is offering free suicide prevention training.
The training is intended to educate those in a position to recognize a crisis about the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide.
The flyer notes that suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and on the rise for adults.
Potential trainees include:
parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide.
SYFS Director Sarah Cassell writes that the free online training takes about one hour “and is well worth the time given the potentially life-saving skills acquired for participants.”
The instructors, QPR Institute describe:
Our Gatekeeper course is taught in a clear, concise format using the latest in educational technology and practices.
Training covers:
- How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal
- How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide
- The common causes of suicidal behavior
- The warning signs of suicide
- How to get help for someone in crisis
To register, click here.* SYFS will follow up with emailed instructions for accessing the training. They will also provide participants with additional resources if they have further questions after training completion.
Cassell writes:
While this is a particularly difficult time we are all going though right now, this training opportunity is timely. The goal is to build a community that feels equipped with important suicide prevention noticing skills and the confidence to navigate guiding a person experiencing suicidality to the professional help they need. Residents should feel free to reach out to us if they have further questions or can partake in further training opportunities through QPR.
*Registration is through Southborough Recreation. Rec launched a new website earlier this year. If you haven’t created an account on the new database yet, you’ll need to do that to register. (It won’t pull up your account from the old website.)
Hello fellow Southborough residents. I have a teenager and I work with all types of people dealing with all types of stress. I took this course and I learned a few things. I feel confident that I can help someone in need. This course gives the tools and resourses to get the persont the help they need. In these times right now where job loss, financial uncertainty, being at home with your loved onesm ALL THE TIME and no school piled suddenly on top of all the stress and worry there was before this pandemic, Not to mention the loss of loved ones as well. I strongy urge you to reach out and take this FREE online course. You never know when or if someone you know or see needs a little extra help. It took me just under an hour. We have a strong community and this is another way that we can make it even stronger and rally around eachother!