Student Training on Suicide Prevention
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training
We support students with prevention-focused education and training. Learn about introductory, intermediate, and advanced ways to get involved below.
Introductory
Intermediate
Advanced
Consultation and Interview Services
Consultations
Students may request consultation for themselves or for others. Faculty, staff, and family members are also encouraged to request a consultation about a student.
When seeking consultation in urgent situations, ensure that the student is physically safe by calling Miami University Police at 513-529-2222 or Oxford City Police at 911 for help when there is an immediate risk to health or safety.
In less urgent situations, please call SCS at 513-529-4634 during working hours to schedule a phone, virtual, or in-person consultation with an available staff counselor.
Informational Interviews
Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to contact SCS to learn more about a psychological issue or obtain an interview from our staff.
Please understand that clinical and urgent issues take precedence during busy times of the semester. We ask for a minimum of one week’s notice when you make informational requests for student academic papers, newspaper columns, and articles for academic purposes. At certain high-demand times of the academic year (e.g., the latter weeks of the semester), SCS staff may not be available to respond to these consultation requests due to the urgency of clinical demand for staff time.
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
QPR teaches you how to respond to a mental health emergency, providing you tools for how to act when someone faces a serious risk.
Certified instructors teach three simple steps; how to Question, Persuade, and Refer. In just 90 minutes, you gain life-saving skills.
Goals of QPR Gatekeeper Training
- Recognize the warning signs of suicide.
- Learn how to offer and provide hope.
- Learn how to provide help and save a life through Question, Persuade, and Refer skills.
- Obtain resources available to help someone in crisis.
Training Audience
Anyone can serve as a mental health gatekeeper. Gatekeepers notice warning signs of suicidal risk and respond early. More trained gatekeepers means more saved lives.
Gatekeepers can be anyone including friends, coworkers, family members, faculty, staff, and community leaders.
Register and Learn More
- Option 1: Students
- If you are a Miami University student or part of a student organization, please contact the HAWK Peer Health Educators, who provide QPR training for students and student groups.
- Option 2: Envision Partnerships
- Envision Partnerships, in collaboration with the Butler County Suicide Prevention Coalition, offers free QPR training. To learn how to bring a QPR Gatekeeper Training to your workplace, school, place of worship, or civic organization, contact Kristen Smith at 513-868-2100 ext. 228 or by email.
You can also explore upcoming opportunities on the Envision Partnerships event calendar.
Questions?
Contact Laura Wonsik at WonsikLC@MiamiOH.edu.
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is an eight hour certification course. You will learn how to recognize mental health and substance use challenges and how to respond to them with confidence and care.
The training uses discussion, role-play, and real scenarios to offer practical skills for supporting adults in distress and/or crisis.
Miami University staff, faculty, and students may register. Classified staff may earn Job Enrichment points with supervisor approval.
*Those who complete an MHFA training and QPR training qualify for the Mental Health Ally Program.
Upcoming Training
Participants complete a two hour self-paced online course, then attend a six hour in-person training focused on skills practice. The training includes multiple breaks and a one hour break for lunch on your own.
Please sign up using the Mental Health First Aid Registration Form. Here you will find a list of training dates. We require at least five participants to hold the training. If we cancel, we will contact you and offer new dates.
Instructors
- Katherine Tylinski, Psy.D.
- Laura Wonsik. M.A., PCC
- Jennifer Young, Ph.D.
How to Register
Questions?
Contact Laura Wonsik at WonsikLC@MiamiOH.edu.
