Content warning: this article discusses suicide and suicide awareness
From Sept. 8-10, Beth Meier, Director of the Counseling and Disability Services Office at Meredith College, gave Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training to students, faculty and staff. This was the first time Meredith has hosted QPR training since 2019. In a normal year, Meier said about 20 people attend these sessions, but this year, almost 100 people signed up to attend one of the three sessions. There will be additional QPR training sessions offered via Zoom in January 2022.
QPR training focuses on the importance of questioning a person about suicide, persuading the person to get help and referring someone who is dealing with suicidal thoughts and ideations to a counselor or health facility. Meier made all attendees of the training aware of the 24/7 crisis hotline provided by Meredith and the signs to look for when a person is suicidal.
If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal ideation, there is help. The 24/7 crisis hotline from Meredith is always available, and Meredith also has free on-campus short-term counseling. Whether you do or do not attend Meredith College, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free at 800-273-8255.
By Freya Dahlgren, Staff Writer