By MONIQUE KOERNER and ALICIA BOOR
Cottonwood Extension District
You are probably asking yourself, “What is QPR?” QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer. Three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. QPR is a suicide-prevention training designed to educate people from all walks of life on how to recognize the warning signs of suicide. QPR training helps people get comfortable asking the question "Are you thinking about suicide?" and then helping others get appropriate help.
The world is experiencing a global mental health crisis and Kansas is not exempt. There has been a statistically significant 51.4% increase in the suicide death rate from 2011 to 2022 and in 2022 there were 8,453 Kansans who visited an Emergency Department for suicidal ideation (KDHE Suicide-Related Data). The QPR mission is to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training. The signs of crisis are all around us. We believe that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know.
K-State Research and Extension is committed to helping the mental health crisis in Kansas by creating the Stress and Resiliency Transdisciplinary team. Our Stress and Resiliency team provides educational information about stress, stress management and resiliency, or one’s ability to adapt positively to difficult experiences. Areas of focus include all types of stress and general mental health information, because stress impacts all of us – regardless of demographic.
Increasing awareness and people’s willingness to talk about mental health will encourage more Kansans to get the help they need. Another goal is to equip Kansans with tools and techniques that help them recognize and manage stress within their lives, families and communities. Our team also strives to educate Kansans about resiliency - how to enhance it and how to incorporate it into their daily lives.
One of the initiatives of the Stress and Resiliency Team is to train agents in QPR among other educational trainings. Recently, Monique Koerner joined Alicia Boor in becoming a QPR
gatekeeper for the Cottonwood Extension District. We are available to present QPR to a wide variety of audiences. Some examples would include workplaces, schools, colleges and universities, faith communities, emergency departments and services, and other civic organizations that are interested in learning more about the mental health crisis and suicide prevention.
For more information about mental health, stress, stress management or to schedule a QPR training, please contact Cottonwood Extension District at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910. Or email Monique at [email protected] or Alica at [email protected]
Alicia Boor is the Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent. You can reach her at 620-793-1910 or [email protected]. Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or [email protected]