When someone is struggling with their mental health, they may think about ending their life. Suicidal thoughts and actions are common in Missouri. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for adults and teens across the state. Based on recent surveys of 6th-12th grade students in Taney County, an estimated 13% have seriously considered taking their own lives. This information was eye-opening to the staff at the Taney County Health Department (TCHD). To help prevent the tragedy of suicide, TCHD began offering free suicide prevention training in November 2022. The impactful training is titled Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR). In one hour, participants learn how to identify if someone is at risk of suicide, how to talk with that person, and how to refer them to lifesaving resources.
TCHD now has a QPR team! This group of instructors have taught and continue to teach QPR trainings all across Taney County. One of the recent success stories of this program happened at the Boys and Girls Club of the Ozarks in November 2025. At this family education night, hosted by the Taney County Suicide Prevention Network, TCHD staff shared QPR with students, parents, and staff members. After the training was complete, TCHD staff received this feedback from a staff member: “I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. [I am] listening to these kids excited about 988, suicide prevention, and actually starting conversations with their parents in the lobby as they are getting picked up. My niece who hasn’t stopped talking about it since we left the club. Y’all changed some lives tonight.”
This resource makes an impact in the lives of adults and youth in our community. QPR training can be customized for different groups, like Veterans, law enforcement, adults, and youth. The training is portable, and TCHD staff will gladly take the class to any location in Taney County. The goal is to keep growing this program and help more community members of all ages be prepared to save lives.
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Bring this lifesaving training to your group or organization today.