As global interest in suicide prevention has grown, my thoughts have turned toward trying to answer the question, “What are we missing in our efforts to prevent suicide?” Suicide rates are stubborn and dozens of recommended strategies are missing or incomplete or waiting for science to confirm they will work.

But one thing is very clear, at least to me. We don’t have enough people working on the front lines of suicide prevention to help the millions of people thinking about ending their lives today. After 50 years of working in this space, our ranks are still too thin. Compared to other human endeavors to mitigate suffering and improve lives, we working in suicide prevention are far too few in numbers. Yes, there is growth. Yes, there are new jobs, initiatives, and sources of funding. And, yes, we have trained millions of gatekeepers. But something is missing.

The paper that follows is entitled, The Certified QPR+ Pathfinder Training Program: Need, Concept, Framework, & Curriculum for a Global Approach to the Prevention and Mitigation of Suicidal Ideation and Deaths by Suicide. It summarizes my thinking on one of the missing parts to our approach to suicide prevention. Even though only one part, it may be an important one.

The paper outlines the problem and a possible solution. Together with global partners, our team at the QPR Institute have crafted and tested an online training program designed to create something fresh in the world: a new workforce specially trained and dedicated to preventing suicide at the community level.

As the paper is too long for a journal, we publish it here as an independent online publication by the QPR Institute. Feel free to download and share it as you like.

Citation: Quinnett, P. (2022). The Certified QPR+ Pathfinder Training Program: Need, Concept, Framework, & Curriculum for a Global Approach to the Prevention and Mitigation of Suicidal Ideation and Deaths by Suicide. Spokane, WA: QPR Institute.