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With mental health struggles amid college students rising throughout the pandemic – including an alarming increase in suicidal ideation – SUNY is encouraging all faculty, staff, and students to take this free QPR crisis intervention training before the end of the semester.

The course takes less than an hour, and may help you save a life. The more people take it, the stronger and safer our SUNY communities will be.

What is it?

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is an evidence-based emergency mental health intervention for people at risk of suicide. The goal of QPR is to recognize a suicide crisis, interrupt it, and direct the person to appropriate care.

Like CPR, QPR works to increase an at-risk individual’s chance of survival. People trained in QPR are taught to recognize the warning signs of suicide, which include depression, expressions of hopelessness, and talk of suicide. They are then taught how to respond.

Know What to Do When Someone’s in Crisis

Do you know what to do when a friend is in crisis? Often, friends, mentors, coaches, and teachers are the first to hear and see the signs of a mental health crisis. You don’t need to be a professional to know how to react — but you do need to be prepared. SUNY is offering free QPR mental health crisis intervention training, which teaches you three simple steps for responding when someone mentions suicidal thoughts or shares that they are struggling with suicidal ideation: Question, Persuade, Refer. This training takes less than an hour, and could ultimately save a life.