It is no secret that all schools should be taking action to help students with their wellbeing. The Morgan School is an example of a school going the extra mile for supporting students with their mental health. Morgan has introduced the QPR Institute. QPR is an innovative, practical, and proven suicide prevention training. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis, and it can save lives. It is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal people created in 1995 by Paul Quinnett. While suicide is a tragic and complex topic, the mission is to teach communication as an effective prevention technique.  

Most of Morgan’s staff is QPR trained. Training could be online or with an instructor. The training consists of the following: How to question, persuade and refer someone who may be suicidal, how to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide, the common causes of suicidal behavior, the warning signs of suicide, and how to get help for someone in crisis. 

Recently, the Captain’s Council sent out a survey offering this training to our student athlete leaders. On February 8, 2023, there was a training session held for captains of fall, winter, and spring captains. This training took place at 8:45 in the A-wing collab room. Food and drinks were provided. 

Track captains Sophie Morello and Logan Pernal said, “It was definitely a heavy topic to learn about. But I think it is valuable to learn about and having our instructors helped ease the topic. It is a really important topic and everyone needs to be aware of it. It definitely made us more open to watching out for signs.” Soccer captain Lily Tanner stated, “I was very grateful for the experience and to be exposed to the reality of mental health challenges that people face every day. I think it is super important for more people to have the knowledge on how to help people that may be struggling with this. As captains, it is important for us to know what signs to look for and to be there for my teammates whether they are struggling or not.” 

Session leader and school social worker Maureen Tranqulili mentioned, “It is important to have as many students trained as possible because students hear things before we do. Students are the eyes and ears of the school and so you often know more than us.” School psychologist Sara Thomas said that they are hoping to expand this training to more students in the future. 

If you are interested in becoming QPR trained, Clinton Human Services offers it periodically for members of the town. This program is for anyone over the age of 14 who wants to help prevent suicide in town. The training is free and can be located at a workplace, online, scout troop, or service group. Twelve to twenty-five people can be trained at a time.