From: Upper Michigan's Source
HARVEY -- Saint Louis the King Catholic Church in Harvey hosted a suicide prevention workshop Sunday.
The workshop highlighted the "Question, Persuade, Refer" program.
The Q-P-R program teaches how best to approach someone who might be suicidal, how best to keep them from committing suicide, and how to reach out to a professional with them
Click for Article
Security at Church: I thought this article illustrate a great idea for churches across America. What are we doing at our places of worship to prepare in advance for situations resulting in suicide?
Looking back over the last five years I am aware of 5-10 people in my immediate circle that have committed suicide. Several of these suicides have involved individuals and family members from my local church. The last suicide involved my childhood neighbor. He recently finished a tour of duty in the Middle East. He was a young kid in his twenties. I am not sure what happened or what he was specifically dealing with to feel that he had to claim his own life...But he did… A few years back a child of another lifelong family friend decided to kill himself. This case involved a history and battle with substance abuse.
Every time one of these tragedies occurred I recall countless people making statements of surprise, confusion and disbelief that this could happen. According to the most recent data from the CDC (2009) suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Over 38,000 people committed suicide during the year of report. Looking at these numbers we need to realize that suicide is a reality and that it can affect those around us! We need to learn the sings and symptoms of someone who may be contemplating suicide. We need to ask the right questions. Persuade those around us that suicide is not the best options and then refer them to PROFESSIONAL help!
I want to highlight that last statement that I just made… I fully agree with the involvement of clergy in the personal affairs of their congregants. With that being said, medical conditions need the help of trained medical professional. Counseling and psychiatric support should be made available and be given by trained professionals. There are professional all around the country that share your religious beliefs and can tailor their medical treatment to meet your concerns. You should not discount the help of a professional in this situation. Clergy may have all of the right intentions; however, the majority of them DO NOT have the proper medical training to deal with these situations on their own.
HARVEY -- Saint Louis the King Catholic Church in Harvey hosted a suicide prevention workshop Sunday.
The workshop highlighted the "Question, Persuade, Refer" program.
The Q-P-R program teaches how best to approach someone who might be suicidal, how best to keep them from committing suicide, and how to reach out to a professional with them
Click for Article
Security at Church: I thought this article illustrate a great idea for churches across America. What are we doing at our places of worship to prepare in advance for situations resulting in suicide?
Looking back over the last five years I am aware of 5-10 people in my immediate circle that have committed suicide. Several of these suicides have involved individuals and family members from my local church. The last suicide involved my childhood neighbor. He recently finished a tour of duty in the Middle East. He was a young kid in his twenties. I am not sure what happened or what he was specifically dealing with to feel that he had to claim his own life...But he did… A few years back a child of another lifelong family friend decided to kill himself. This case involved a history and battle with substance abuse.
Every time one of these tragedies occurred I recall countless people making statements of surprise, confusion and disbelief that this could happen. According to the most recent data from the CDC (2009) suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Over 38,000 people committed suicide during the year of report. Looking at these numbers we need to realize that suicide is a reality and that it can affect those around us! We need to learn the sings and symptoms of someone who may be contemplating suicide. We need to ask the right questions. Persuade those around us that suicide is not the best options and then refer them to PROFESSIONAL help!
I want to highlight that last statement that I just made… I fully agree with the involvement of clergy in the personal affairs of their congregants. With that being said, medical conditions need the help of trained medical professional. Counseling and psychiatric support should be made available and be given by trained professionals. There are professional all around the country that share your religious beliefs and can tailor their medical treatment to meet your concerns. You should not discount the help of a professional in this situation. Clergy may have all of the right intentions; however, the majority of them DO NOT have the proper medical training to deal with these situations on their own.
