Engaging Communities: Suicide Prevention (QPR) with C-SSRS

As a global pandemic and increased demand for mental health services places larger strains on healthcare systems in general, we as community members have the opportunity to "Answer the Call".  The Crisis Intervention Team answers the call with the mission to preserve dignity and life, and promote safe, effective, and compassionate responses to people experiencing mental health, substance use, or cognitive crisis.

This course is a comprehensive look at how stress and risk factors impact the biology and psychology of those in suicide crisis. Participants learn 

• brain basics, 
• tips and tricks for talking to someone in crisis
• safety protocols for on scene, 
• evidenced-based, trauma-informed intervention, and
• resources to help those in need. 

Distinguishing myths from facts with respect to suicide, participants in this class will gain an understanding of the scope of the problem of Deaths of Despair in the United States. Participants learn to identify risk factors and warning signs indicative of a suicidal crisis, to distinguish between early and late warning signs to assess the level of risk and urgency of the situation, and how to compassionately communicate with the person in crisis. This course covers securing the scene and checking one’s own ability to respond, and participants learn how to use the Columbia-Suicide Severity Risk Scale (C-SSRS), adopted as the gold standard nationally for suicide assessment and intervention, to help them make decisions as to whether someone needs to be taken for immediate examination or if putting them in touch with resources, and which resources, are effective. 

AGENDA: 

1:00-2:00: Lunch at the Standifer Gap SDA School: 8255 Standifer Gap, Chattanooga, TN

2:00-4:00: Workshop at Standifer Gap SDA Church: 8310 Standfer Gap, Chattanooga, TN