Suicide rates have been rising in recent years: the CDC re­ports nearly 45,000 fatal casualties of Americans aged 10 or older. The visibility of mental illness has increased, bring­ing suicide to the surface and raising awareness. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be seen in various institutions and even popular songs, like rapper Logic’s “1-800-273-8255,” deal with the issue. That being said, the Penn State Abington community has come up with a program to tackle the problem.

Theresa Bloom, the Continuing Education Pro­gram Manager, and Renee Cunningham, the subject matter expert, joined forces to create the college’s Suicide Prevention Train­ing Program. It began due to their mutual concern over suicide rates of first-responders in 2015. Now the program averages about 40 people, focusing on the “question, persuade and refer” method, better known as QPR. This method is how nonprofessionals assist anyone exhibiting suicidal tendencies.

Breaking down the QPR method, the “question” aspect focuses on breaking the stigma around suicide itself. Asking questions to someone you might know if they experiencing suicidal thoughts can easily break barriers. The word “suicide” carries so much baggage, so simply bringing it out into the open reduces the stigma around it.

Once you are able to comprehend the question, you move on to “persuad­ing,” in which you tell someone you may know struggling with suicide not to act on impulse, and to remind them that above all they are loved.

Finally, the “refer” in QPR is when you would refer that person to a professional who has the training to further help the person struggling. Everyone has the capac­ity to save someone’s life and that’s what the QPR demonstrates.

The program runs for two hours, mainly using a lecture-based style of teaching, taught by Renee Cunningham. It’s located in Lares, room 108 and 109, usually beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 8. The classroom has about 25 to 30 tables, each with two chairs. Attendees learn from PowerPoints and videos on how to prevent suicide. They are also given loose-leaf paper for notes, a pen or pencil, and a pamphlet about the training. In the last 10 minutes of class, a role-play scene is done with those who are in the class to mimic real experi­ences dealing with some­one suicidal face to face.

The intention of the QPR is to not trigger anyone, but to move ahead with the proper tools, aiding those in need. The next avail­able dates are June 19, followed by Sept. 18 and Dec. 4, 2019. Just like CPR, you can learn the QPR of saving someone’s life.