Train the Trainer QPR Gatekeeper Instructor Training | Centennial Hall
This certification course trains Instructors to teach QPR for Suicide Prevention to their community. Participants first learn about the nature of suicidal communications, what forms these communications take and how they may be used as the stimulus for a QPR intervention. Participants then learn to market QPR, target potential Gatekeepers, and how to teach the QPR curriculum. Participants also learn to deal with pent up audience demand to talk about suicide, survivor issues and how to make immediate interventions and referrals. Each participant has the opportunity for individual rehearsal and practice through role-plays.

QPR Agenda (2 page PDF), QPR Theory Paper (38 page PDF), QPR Handouts

Awareness Event at Riverside Park (featuring music and speakers)

Free and Open to the Public

• SPEAKERS, including former NFL quarterback Eric Hipple
• STORIES OF HOPE
• INFORMATIONAL WALK IN THE PARK
• MUSIC BY THREE LEGGED MARLEY

Speakers rain or shine. Music weather permitting.

Persuing Perfect Depression Care: A Model for Eliminating Suicide and Transforming Mental Healthcare
- C. Edward Coffey, M.D., is a neuropsychiatrist, Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) Vice President and CEO of Behavioral Health Services, and the Kathleen and Earl Ward Chair of Psychiatry of Henry Ford Hospital. Dr. Coffey is also Professor of Psychiatry and of Neurology at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Dr. Coffey describes the Institute of Medicine’s Chasm Report that was leveraged as a roadmap for healthcare transformation at Henry Ford Health System. This “Perfect Depression Care” Initiative resulted in a dramatic and unprecedented reduction in the rate of suicide in the health system’s HMO population, and was associated with improved operational success in many other dimensions of performance. Session objectives:

• Become familiar with the Institute of Medicine’s report “Crossing the Quality Chasm”
• Understand how the “Chasm” report can be used as a roadmap for dramatically improving health care, including the prevention of suicide

The Perfect Depression Initiative
- Dr. Ed Coffey
Dr. Coffey describes the strategies and tactics he and his team of “Blues Busters” used to implement a system of “Perfect Depression Care,” and how such a system has created breakthrough performance in mental health care. Session objectives:

• Understand the concept of “pursuing perfection”
• Understand how “pursuing perfection” may be applied to the provision of healthcare to achieve dramatic improvements in quality

QPR – Question, Persuade, Refer: Suicide Prevention Training
- Bridgette Hensley
“A Gatekeeper is anyone in a position to recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. This could be you.” (QPR Institute, 1995) Like CPR, QPR provides the basic tools that may save the life of someone who is thinking about suicide. Everyone can learn the skills of Question-Persuade-Refer, the steps that encourage action and offer hope. Session objectives:

• Identify suicide myths and facts
• Identify verbal, behavioral and situational clues
• Know the three steps of QPR

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Connections to Suicide
- Jennifer Muehlenkamp
This session presents an overview of non-suicidal self-injury among youth. An emphasis on how self-injury is different from suicide, but can place some individuals at risk for future suicidal behavior. Recommendations for how to respond to youth who engage in self-injury and monitoring for suicide risk will be provided along with a very brief mention of some treatment approaches. Session objectives:

• Identify features of self-injury that differentiate it from suicide
• Identify signs for increased suicide risk within an individual who self-injures
• Describe effective ways to respond to an individual with self-injury

Suicide and Substance Abuse
- Pat Ruda, facilitator
Chemical dependency is an illness which affects our community and country. Many with chemical dependency have dual diagnosis with other mental illnesses. There is significant statistical evidence of suicide often being related to chemical abuse and dependence. This workshop presents information on the extent of the problem, ways to address risk for suicide and offers the personal side of chemical dependency from the recovered individual and family members. Session objectives:

• Identify the scope of the problem of suicide in chemical dependency
• Identify practices to provide safety and support to chemically dependent individuals who are at risk for suicide
• Develop awareness and opportunity for insights into the experience of the chemically dependent individual and family members

A Trauma-Informed Understanding of Suicidality
- Elizabeth Hudson, LCSW, Consultant to WI Dept. of Health Services, Employed by University of Wisconsin-Madison
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is a philosophy that shifts our perspective from asking “what’s wrong with you” to the more helpful and engaging question “what’s happened to you?” This change in perspective begins the process of understanding how the past impacts the present, which begins the process of healing and recovery. Topics include: trauma definitions & prevalence, ACE Study research, brain basics, differentiation between standard services and a trauma-informed paradigm, and an introduction of tools to begin organizational assessment and implementation of TIC culture change. Session objectives:

• Attendees will learn about the association between trauma and suicidality
• Attendees will apply trauma-informed care to suicide prevention

Why Bystanders Stand By: Facing Responsibility in Suicide Risk
- Ryan A. McKelley, Ph.D., LP, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
The bystander effect is a psychological phenomenon where persons are less likely to intervene in a situation that warrants comment or action when others are present than when they are alone. This session will explore the many reasons why bystanders may remain passive in situations, and identify ways to counter this often-automatic reaction. Participants will learn specific skills and strategies to intervene in situations with potential risk for suicidal behaviors.  Session objectives:

• Participants will describe the concept of bystander intervention broadly and as it relates specifically to suicide prevention
• Participants will identify several potential interventions that can be used in their respective settings to intervene during high-risk behaviors

Entertainment: Awareness through Performance…Changing the World One Performance at a Time
Comprised of UW-L Students, Awareness through Performance (ATP) promotes greater consciousness around social justice, diversity, and climate issues on the UW-L campus and beyond. Using the stage as a forum, they creatively challenge systems of privilege and oppression and strive to plant seeds of social responsibility, inspire critical thought, and spark a campus-wide conversation.

QPR – Question, Persuade, Refer: Suicide Prevention Training (repeat from morning session)
- Vicky Gunderson
“A Gatekeeper is anyone in a position to recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. This could be you.” (QPR Institute, 1995) Like CPR, QPR provides the basic tools that may save the life of someone who is thinking about suicide. Everyone can learn the skills of Question-Persuade-Refer, the steps that encourage action and offer hope. Session objectives:

• Identify suicide myths and facts
• Identify verbal, behavioral and situational clues
• Know the three steps of QPR

What We Don’t Know CAN Hurt Us (Men and Depression)
- Eric Hipple
This workshop targets core values and covers bystander intervention. Aside from the two major topics, suicide prevention and the major factors including stress and resilience will be addressed. The information delivered is based on personal experience by someone who battles depression and has managed to overcome symptoms. Session Objectives:  

• Provide tools for families and for their loved ones or people who have mood disorders
• Promote resilience
• Better understand the interaction between stress, genetics, and environment

Suicide Risk and Resilience for the LGBTQ Youth
 - Jennifer Muehlenkamp
LGBTQ youth have substantially higher rates of suicidal thinking and behavior compared to their heterosexual peers. This presentation will use Joiner’s Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide to help others understand why LGBTQ youth are at greater risk as well as how to promote resiliency and prevent suicide. Particular emphasis will be placed on how others can support LGBTQ youth and build resilience at individual and community levels as a way to prevent suicide within this group. Session objectives:

• Understand the unique risks for suicide faced by LGBTQ youth according to the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide
• Identify ways to build resilience among LGBTQ youth in effort to minimize and prevent suicide

Suicide and Substance Abuse: Exploring Risk Factors Effective Interactions
- Debra Murray, Psy.D., Psychology Department, Viterbo University
This presentation will briefly review the connection of substance abuse and suicide, with an emphasis on lifespan risk and protective factors. Participants will be provided with evidence based strategies and resources to identify risk factors and provide effective interventions. Session objectives:

• Describe the connection between substance use and suicide
• List four specific risk and protective factors across the lifespan
• Identify effective assessment tools and strategies for this target population
• Discuss strategies and identify resources to reduce substance use disorders and suicide

Prevent Suicide Wisconsin – Statewide Suicide Prevention Efforts
- Debi Traeder

Participants will learn about Prevent Suicide Wisconsin, the efforts that have taken place to date, the plans for the future and how each and every person in each county can participate. Session objectives:

• Learn about suicide in Wisconsin – the stats AND the stigma
• Understand the efforts being made and where
• Learn what each person can do to help 

Resiliency Training (RT) as Viable Means of Suicide Prevention: A Pragmatic RT Approach Among U.S. Combat Soldiers in Afghanistan
- Dr. Michael Brandt, M.S. Ed., Ph.D, Clinical Psychologist, Acting Chief of Psychology, Tomah VHA–La Crosse Station, Wisconsin Army National Guard, CPT, Chief BH Officer
Three primary issues will be discussed; 1) the research literature and findings regarding the study of resiliency, 2) assessing resiliency skills for a context-specific population (i.e., combat soldiers in a specific Area of Operation) and training resiliency skills development.  Session objectives:

• Participants will have a survey understanding of the resiliency-based research literature
• Participants will be able to articulate the considerations involved in a context-specific resiliency assessment
• Participants will learn resiliency skills development

Real Men Do Cry: A Quarterback’s Story
- Eric Hipple, BS, Outreach Specialist for the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center. He is a former National Football League (NFL) quarterback whose 10-year career was spent with the Detroit Lions. As a depression and suicide prevention educator, he received the Detroit Lions 2010 Courage House award, the prestigious 2008 Lifetime Achievement award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and a presidential citation at the American Psychological Association’s 2006 Annual Convention. Mr. Hipple is the author of the award winning book, “Real Men Do Cry.”

Eric Hipple shares his personal story of his rise to the pinnacle of a football career the fall through depression and suicide loss and ultimately his recovery. Session objective:

• Ignoring symptoms can be lethal
• Learn how to communicate with professionals
• Treatment does work and the only option is to never give up
• Support is a necessary component of mental wellness