UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Members of farming communities interested in learning lifesaving skills to support farmers and agricultural communities can attend an upcoming Penn State Extension webinar.

The “QPR Gatekeeper Training for Farming Communities” webinar will occur from 1-3 p.m. on June 5th. Additional sessions will be held from 9-11 a.m. on July 8th and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 20th. 

The two-hour, evidence-based suicide prevention workshop is focused on strengthening mental health support for farmers, their families, and agricultural workers in both rural and urban settings. 

 This training is aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge and confidence to recognize the warning signs of suicide, engage in supportive conversations, and connect individuals to help using the three simple steps: Question, Persuade, Refer.

Similar to how CPR prepares individuals to respond in a medical emergency, QPR empowers community members, regardless of background, to act when someone may be in crisis.

Among other topics, the sessions will cover:

• How to recognize the warning signs of suicide. 
• Asking direct questions about someone’s well-being.
• How to engage in supportive, nonjudgmental conversations. 
• How to apply the QPR method: Question, Persuade, Refer. 
• Connecting individuals to appropriate mental health resources. 
• Ways to respond confidently in a potential mental health crisis.

Penn State Extension offers this event at no charge. Registration is open until the day before the webinar. Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinars.

More information is available on the Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/qpr-gatekeeper-training-for-farming-communities.