By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — As suicide and mental health issues are on the rise among young people, more folks are learning about the preventive effort known as QPR.
That stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer, and is an evidence-based emergency mental health intervention concept designed to teach people how to recognize warning signs of a suicide crisis
Warsaw Community Schools has been using that approach for several years, and officials rely on it regularly, says Warsaw Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert.
With an enrollment of nearly 7,000 students, he said it’s used every school day.
Hoffert stressed the importance of communication between the school and parents.
“QPR is just seeing some of those tendencies and working with our adult population to say, how do we make sure we’re keeping our eyes open?” Hoffert said during an interview for In The Know, a public affairs show on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that youth in the U.S. are experiencing a mental health crisis, with one study suggesting 10 percent of students in grades 9-12 have thought about suicide.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said online that youth in the U.S. are experiencing a mental health crisis, with one study suggesting 10 percent of students in grades 9-12 have thought about suicide.
Mental health concerns coincide with trends that have seen youth focused more on their cellphones (specifically doomscrolling) while also drinking alcohol and smoking less.
School officials are also turning to technology to monitor the issue.
“We also have warning signs and filters that if students are typing out something that could be suicidal on their school device, it sends us alerts right away,” Hoffert said. “That’s something that our guidance staff can then check in with parents, check in with students.”
Hoffert also discussed the new state cellphone ban for students in public schools and the new state policy that changes how schools themselves are graded.
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In The Know can be heard at the following times:
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