AMES, Iowa — Iowa’s rural communities and families are still coping with the uncertainty, stress and imposed isolation produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial worries and unpredictable commodity prices also continue to contribute to anxiety in the agriculture industry.
In response to this ongoing impact, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering weekly, online “Question. Persuade. Refer.” (QPR) programs, said David Brown, behavioral health specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
QPR is a suicide prevention program that teaches participants three steps to help save a life from suicide.
“Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help,” Brown explained.
ISU Extension and Outreach is offering QPR every Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., July 21 through Oct. 27. Each program will last for one hour.
Agribusiness professionals, agriculture lenders and bankers, veterinarians, vet techs, commodity group members, producers, social service professionals and other concerned individuals can register at no cost for any of these programs.
To register, go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/QPR. Participants will receive a unique URL prior to the program to access the Zoom-hosted program.
For more information, feel free to contact David Brown at dnbrown@iastate.edu.
— Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
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