October 25, 2024
September is Suicide Awareness Month – bringing attention to a serious subject that needs to be talked about openly. In 2023, more than 50,000 Americans died by suicide.
Opening the conversation about suicide is critical because it breaks through the stigma and silence that often surround the topic, allowing individuals to feel less isolated and more supported. By fostering open dialogue, we create a space where people can share their struggles, seek help, and connect with resources before a crisis escalates. This proactive approach can lead to early intervention, providing hope, and potentially saving lives by encouraging those at risk to reach out for the care they need.
In an ongoing effort to save lives, Donna Bielefield, BA, a member of McCall’s Prevention Services team, wants everyone to know about McCall’s FREE QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training.
A free resource that saves lives.
The McCall Prevention team goes out into local communities and presents QPR Training for free. The informative session is generally an hour to 90 minutes. Our goal is to help people recognize when someone is having a mental health issue that may lead to a potential suicide.
It’s not an easy thing to go to someone and ask: “‘Are you considering taking your life by suicide?” or “Are you very unhappy?”
“We recommend just asking the question,” says Donna. If you feel that you can’t ask the question by yourself, try to find support services for assistance.
Recognizing signs.
“Suicide is not something that a lot of people have wanted to talk about,” Donna notes. “Suicide Awareness Month is bringing the subject into the open.”
If I can get QPR Training to more and more people so that they can recognize the signs, then I’ve done my job,” Donna says. “We’ll go to anywhere in the Northwest Corner. Pull us in. Call McCall and I’ll set up a training.”
QPR Training isn’t just for health care professionals. It’s also for the general public. McCall’s Prevention Services team offers the training to local agencies, organizations, and businesses (regardless of their size).
Resources that can help.
Donna has a message for anyone who is worried about a loved one or is in a difficult place themselves and contemplating suicide: Call 988, a national 24-hour Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available in English or Spanish.
McCall’s QPR Training is available at your site or virtually via Zoom. To schedule a training, just click hereand register on the McCall website. You can also call McCall’s main office at 860.496.2100.
Learn more on WZBG
Miss the interview? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
Visit our pressroom to hear Donna Bielefield, BA, Prevention Services, talk about the value of McCall’s free QPR Suicide Prevention Training.
Click on the image to listen to the full FM 97.3 WZBG interview.
