Dear Faculty and Staff,
Student Affairs Case Management and Counseling and Psychological Services are working to update the Gold Folder, a safety protocol you’ve likely become acquainted with. You may also be familiar with the Mental Health Guidebook for Faculty and Staff, a tool to assist you in helping students in distress. One component of that help is understanding when a student may be in danger of suicide. Counseling and Psychological Services would like to offer you a unique training specifically to support students who may be thinking about suicide. We have two types of training sessions available: QPR and Psychological First Aid.
QPR TRAINING
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — three simple steps anyone can learn 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. Each year thousands of Americans, are saying "yes" to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor.
As a QPR-trained Gatekeeper you will learn to:
- Recognize the warning signs of suicide
- Know how to offer hope
- Know how to get help and save a life
The 1 hour and 15 minute QPR course offered by Counseling and Psychological Services is specifically for UC Berkeley Faculty, Staff, and GSIs and will be held at the University Health Services. Space is limited so please register quickly.
Tuesday, February 27 - Faculty/Staff/GSI QPR, UHS Education Center, 12:10-1:30pm, register here
Monday, March 12 - Faculty/Staff/GSI QPR, UHS Education Center, 12:10-1:30pm, register here
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID TRAINING
When tragic events happen in our UC Berkeley community faculty, staff and GSIs are often called upon to offer support to students. This 1.5 hour course will help you learn the basic skills necessary to provide common sense support after a tragedy, such as a student death. The course will also address CPS response and how faculty, staff, and GSIs can collaborate with the Tang Center. This course is being offered to help increase the support campus provides in the aftermath of a tragedy and help the community begin to heal.
Wednesday, March 21 - PFA for Faculty/Staff/GSI, UHS Education Center, 12:10-1:30pm, register here
Please email Aaron Cohen, PhD at acohen@berkeley.edu if you have any questions.
Be well,
Claudia Covello
Assistant Vice Chancellor
University Health Services
Gloria Saito, PhD
Interim Director, Counseling and Psychological Services
University Health Services
If you are a manager who supervises UC Berkeley employees without email access, please circulate this information to all.