Suicide Prevention Training

What is QPR?

The QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training Program is an educational program that teaches employees how to recognize a mental health emergency and how to get a person at risk the help they need.  This training will be delivered to all NC Department of Public Safety Employees by Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions and coordinated by the NCDPS Office of Staff Development & Training. Because of the nature of suicidal warning signs, and who is most likely to recognize and respond to them, the QPR Institute strongly concurs with the goal of one in four persons trained a basic gatekeeper role for suicide prevention in the United States. Gatekeepers 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.

Training Course Objectives:

During the QPR Gatekeeper Training Program employees will learn to:

1. How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide.
2. The common causes of suicidal behavior.
3. The warning signs of suicide.
4. How to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone who may be suicidal.
5. How to get help for someone in crisis.

What About My Liability?

If you become trained in QPR you should have no liability for attempting to intervene in a suicide crisis. In fact, many professionals already have a duty to respond, and may not know how. As regards intervening in medical emergencies, and according to the Good Samaritan Act of 1985, a layperson or professional who does not have a legal duty to respond to a stranger's emergency, and who is acting in “good faith” and is not being compensated, and who is not guilty of Gross Negligence (deliberately careless conduct), is immune from liability. There are no recorded cases against a Good Samaritan since 1985 (ProCPR, 2003).

QPR Summary:

QPR is a simple educational program that teaches employees how to recognize a mental health emergency and how to get a person at risk the help they need. It is also an action plan that can result in lives saved.”

Training Session Registration:

Please search the LMS (Learning Management System) with the keyword "QPR" to find training sessions offered.  Once you selected and registered for the desired session, you must submit the Travel Authorization form CNTR001 for your management approval to travel to the event.  This is an internal training event approved for training credit if attended; therefore, a Training Authorization form CNTR001a (formerly OSDT 2) is NOT required. You must sign an OSDT 1 Roster form at the event for attendance documentation.

Reference Material (pre-work to be reviewed prior to attending a training session)