Suicide prevention: Zero Suicide & QPR

Zero suicide is NOT an impossible goal. Most of us are committed to making it happen. Suicidal thoughts occur even in our middle schoolers. There are many ways to help youth and adults alike. The Zero Suicide and QPR programs teach specific skills and actions that are proven to help prevent suicide.

Despite all the County’s positives – miles of seacoast, inland wooded areas, farms and rural communities, above-average income and education, etc. – we are also always among the State’s top counties for rates of suicide, binge drinking, and substance abuse.

Suicidal thoughts reach down to our middle schoolers. In 2019, 65 youth ages 7-17 were evaluated for suicidal and/or homicidal ideations (see chart), nearly one in four of the 270 mental health evaluations of youth in Washington County that year.

Suicidal thoughts rarely appear suddenly and without history. Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds Washington County and its sister advocacy group Washington County Coalition for Children (WCCC) have pioneered teaching emotional awareness to 2nd graders; Mental Health 1st Aid training for non-professionals; The Greatest 8, a brand new effort to help parents teach mental wellness skills to the very young; and Man Therapy, our latest attempt to reach out to you crusty guys who resist all thoughts that men have feelings too (no, duct tape can’t fix a broken heart).

But HBHM offers two programs aimed specifically at suicide prevention (see also Mental Health First Aid and Man Therapy, which are approaches to broader mental wellness).

Zero Suicide is a multi-partner effort to bring both families and “systems” together on behalf of individuals at risk.

Among other goals, Zero Suicide seeks to:

  • Encourage hospitals to assess suicide risk among all patients, not just those receiving mental health care
  • Ask doctors to include routine depression screening as part of annual physicals
  • Increase the willingness of professionals and patients alike to discuss mental health concerns.
  • Zero Suicide is also dedicated to compiling and sharing local and national resources with families, as with this Zero Suicide family brochure.

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds also offers free QPR trainings.

QPR is a 90-minute training that will help you learn how recognize the warning signs of suicide and how to “Q”uestion someone about potential suicidal thoughts; “P”ersuade them to seek help, and “R”efer them for professional assistance.

Check the calendar for ongoing QPR trainings.