(Chelsea Update would like to thank Kate Yocum for the information in this story.)
September is National Suicide Prevention Month and this year, SRSLY Chelsea and the Chelsea Hospital Mental Health Awareness and Training (MHAT) Program are partnering to offer suicide prevention training and tips on how to start the conversation around mental health topics.
“We know that starting the conversation about mental health is often the first step in getting help,” said Kate Yocum, the SRSLY Chelsea director in a press release. “This can be difficult, so we wanted to provide our communities with simple steps to make it a little easier.
SRSLY’s Starting the Conversation guide has been adapted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and walks a person through approaching mental health conversation with someone they love.
In addition to the Starting the Conversation guide, the pair of organizations are working together to host Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), a suicide prevention training at the Chelsea Library on Sept. 21 from 6-7 pm.
QPR is a one– hour training that teaches participants how to identify someone who may be considering suicide, and the steps needed to connect them to someone for help.
“Every person has the ability to be a source of positivity and hope in another’s life,” said Sarah Wilczynski, the MHAT program coordinator. “QPR teaches our community members how to be that source by providing them with tools they can use to help prevent suicide and save lives.”
To learn more about Starting the Conversation or the QPR Training session, visit srsly.org. To register for the QPR training email [email protected].
