The Suicide Prevention workshop was part of the 2018 Safeguarding training program and was held on 25 July at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Theresia Titus.
By Theresia Titus
The Archdiocese of Perth Safeguarding Program has continued its series of training programs with a suicide prevention workshop on 25 July at St Mary’s Cathedral.
He then became involved with an American not-for-profit group called Family Assistance Education and Research Foundation that has been looking after families who have lost their members to transportation and workplace accidents.
The group then found there are many demands for them to respond to suicide cases.
Speaking to The eRecord prior to the workshop, Mr Kavanagh said the workshop is only the second one he has done in Australia since being accredited as a trainer last year.
“I believe that I’m still the only QPR instructor in Australia,” Mr Kavanagh said.
“I’ve participated in team training of airline and cruise line employees as QPR gatekeepers in the UK and Asia.”
Founded by Clinical Psychologist Dr Paul Quinnett PhD, QPR stands for “Question, Persuade, Refer”.
“We’re all familiar with CPR which is an emergency health intervention. QPR is a mental health intervention,” Mr Kavanagh explained.
“They are both ways of helping somebody until there is professional help.”
QPR Institute Australia representative Mike Kavanagh speaks to participants at the Suicide Prevention. Photo: Theresia Titus.
Originating in the United States of America, Mr Kavanagh detailed that the QPR Institute was set up in Australia in 2017.
Mr Kavanagh opened the workshop by explaining that many suicides are the result of a mental health condition.
Participants were trained on how to listen and ask the correct questions to someone at risk, how to persuade someone at risk to be open to help and then to refer them to a qualified professional.
One of the most important points that Mr Kavanagh spoke about during the workshop is the fact that suicidal thoughts and attempts can start from a very young age.
“One of the things I have noticed when I was looking at the statistics is the number of young people who start to look into attempting suicide from the age of 12 (in Australia), and in New Zealand from the age of 5,” he said.
Suicide Prevention workshop participants listen to instructor Mike Kavanagh. Photo: Theresia Titus.
During the workshop, Mr Kavanagh shares stories of suicide cases that he was aware of and the participants were also actively involved with the discussion on the workshop material.
Mr Kavanagh said the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is one of the role models in suicide prevention.
“They have trained more than 800 gatekeepers in parishes around the city; anybody can be a gatekeeper,” he said.