Student Counseling Services at Illinois State University has
received a grant from the Illinois Suicide Prevention Coalition,
administered through the Mental Health Association in Illinois for Selected
Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention at Illinois State University.
The funding, supplemented with matching funds from the Division of Student Affairs, will certify 20 faculty and staff at Illinois State as trainers in QPR (question, persuade, refer), a model of suicide prevention that encourages all members of the campus community to reach out to those who may be in distress (www.qprinstitute.com). The 20 individuals will then provide training to a broad cross section of the campus community over the next three years.
In recent years, Student Counseling Services has received many requests for training and assistance to increase faculty and staff members confidence and skills in talking to Illinois State community members who appear to be upset, depressed or possibly suicidal. Recent incidents at Virginia Tech and elsewhere emphasize the need for the entire campus community to be watchful and responsive to one another as part of a comprehensive strategy for suicide prevention.
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