Education

Chronically Strong has come together with several organizations in order provide suicide prevention training, response to mental health symptoms/how to recognize them, and more. We strongly suggest that if you find any of these interesting, you contact us regarding availability/eligibility.

QPR Suicide Prevention Training

Chronically Strong is committed to bringing education to our communities that focus on mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Join us as we host this QPR: Suicide Prevention Training, delivered by Wellspan Health-Philhaven. Just as CPR-Training is needed to help save a life, it is just as important to also learn how to help save a person's life who is experiencing an invisible illness or suicidal thoughts. Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the US. It is the 11th cause of death in PA. In 2020, there were an estimated 1.20 MILLION suicide attempts with 45,979 Americans who died by suicide. That same year, for every 100,000 PA residents, there were 15.4 suicide deaths. The national average was 11. These statistics can cause a person to feel helpless to make a difference, but with QPR Suicide Prevention Certification Training, you can be prepared to save someone's life. This 3.5-hour training focuses on the evidenced-based Suicide Prevention training developed by the QPR Institute. The course focuses on training individuals to be "Gatekeepers" or someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. Gatekeepers can be anyone but include parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide. QPR Gatekeeper Training teaches you: How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide The common causes of suicidal behavior The warning signs of suicide How to get help for someone in crisis If you are within the first year of having lost someone you love to suicide, please be aware that this training is very in-depth. While there will be a couple of trained volunteers to meet with you should you need to during or after the meeting, this training may bring up feelings that you may not have known that you have. It is important to know that while we will offer compassionate listening, this is not intended to take the place of professional therapy and/or counseling.

SafeZone Training

Safe Zone trainings are opportunities to learn about LGBTQ+ identities, gender and sexuality, and examine prejudice, assumptions, and privilege. SafeZone training is designed to help provide a foundation of common language to communicate to others your commitment to creating LGBTQ+ inclusive community spaces. SafeZones can also be a place for people to explore their own concepts of sexuality, gender identity or affectional orientation. This training is appropriate for all people: heterosexual, cisgender, lesbian, gay, transgender, asexual, binary, polyamorous, or more. SafeZone trainings are a safe place to ask questions, to be vulnerable, and to learn. These trainings are a safe space for you to learn more about the LGBTQ+ identity, issues, and how to support these communities overall. The primary goal of Safe Zone training is awareness and knowledge of gender/sexuality (including your own!). Top-Line Statistics from The Trevor Project Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 (Hedegaard, Curtin, & Warner, 2018) — and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are at significantly increased risk. LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth (13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds. The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth. What Are Key Risk Factors for LGBTQ+ Youth? Minority Stress Rejection and a Lack of Social Support & Affirming Spaces Physical Harm & Bullying Discrimination Conversion Therapy QPR Suicide Prevention Training teaches that one of the key contributors to those who complete suicide is a thwarted sense of belonging. For LGBTQ+ youth and adults, this is even more of a concern, particularly if they are also a minority due to their race or ethnicity. At Chronically Strong we believe that all people, regardless of gender or affectional orientation, race or ethnicity, or religious beliefs, benefit from community inclusion and grow stronger when the community rallies around them.

Trauma 101/102

Trauma Informed Care (TIC) is an approach that assumes that an individual is more likely than not to have a history of trauma. TIC recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges that role trauma may play in an individual's life. TIC requires a paradigm shift from "what is wrong with this person" to "what has happend to this person." Trauma Informed Care 101 Trauma Informed Care 101 is a 2-hour training that explores the impact of trauma on a person's life. Recognizing that 67% of the population has experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, this multi-media, interactive workshop helps participants work together to build a powerful image that helps them appreciate the complex nature of trauma and its aftermath. Trauma Informed Care 102 Trauma Informed Care 102 is a 2-hour training that builds on information provided in Trauma 101. Individuals expand their understanding of trauma and are provided specific skills that enhance abilities to interact in emotionally and relationally healthy ways with people impacted by trauma. As part of our partnership with Wellspan-Philhaven, we host a number of community education events such as Trauma 101/102.

SOS Signs of Suicide

Chronically Strong has partnered with a nonprofit organization, Mindwise Innovations, out of Massachusetts in order to bring the S.O.S-Signs of Suicide evidence-based suicide prevention program to local middle and high school students. We are able to offer this program to local school districts, youth programs, homeschool programs, charter schools, and in community-based forums. "SOS Signs of Suicide, by MindWise Innovations, is the only evidence-based youth suicide prevention program that has been shown to reduce self-reported suicide attempts by up to 64%. The high school program can be facilitated in one-classroom period, teaches students to identify the signs of depression or suicide in themselves or a friend, and encourages help-seeking behaviors." What Does Chronically Strong Provide? There is a wide-range of assistance that Chronically Strong can provide based on the needs of the organization implementing the program. Staff Training Volunteer Training Parent Training Middle School Student Training High School Student Training Handouts/Resources for Staff, Parents, Students Depression Screenings Schools (Coordination With Onsite Providers) Connection to Resources and more We customize our level of assistance based on the size and needs of the group that we are helping to facilitate the program.

Teen Suicide & How to Prevent it

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Volunteer Training Program

Mental Health in the Workplace

Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid is an international education program proven to be effective in teaching adults how to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges. Peer-reviewed studies have been conducted around the world and show that individuals trained in the program: Grow their knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental illnesses and addictions. Can identify multiple types of professional and self-help resources for individuals with a mental health or substance use challenge. Increase their confidence in and likelihood to help an individual in distress. Show increased mental wellness themselves. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. Unlike the QPR: Suicide Prevention Training, MHFA focuses on a broad scope of emotions and how to help people experiencing emotional distress who may not be suicidal: Depression Trauma Substance Abuse Anxiety Psychosis Mental Health First Aid teaches about recovery and resiliency – the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better, and use their strengths to stay well. Chronically Strong periodically holds MHFA community-wide trainings and is also available to bring trainings to your organization.