Alive and Running Presents at JCSD

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Janesville CSD recently hosted a presentation from Ryan Nesbit, co-founder of Alive and Running. The nonprofit organization is completely volunteer led and uses all the funds to raise awareness of suicide prevention. Ryan spoke to the middle school and high school students on the Question, Persuade, & Refer (QPR) method of intervention. 

Because of her personal experiences, staff member Lindsey Eibey spearheaded the training. Here is her story:

“My nephew, Kye, killed himself on October 10th, 2014. It was a Friday night and he was supposed to be at the WSR football game. When his friends noticed he wasn't there they called him and got no answer. They called his sister and she hadn't seen him either. When no one could find him, his sister called their mom. His car was in the driveway but he was not in the house. His dad found him later that night in the woods.

He was a smart, handsome, athletic and well liked kid so his death caught a lot of people off guard. After his death many of his classmates came forward telling stories of how Kye helped them laugh and get through hard times and they never knew he himself was having a hard time until it was too late.

A few years ago, one of my friends also lost a loved one to suicide so we, unfortunately, have this in common and there are a lot of aspects of losing someone to suicide no one can understand unless they've been there. I don't wish this on anyone, it's a club no one wants to be a part of. My friend, Kobey, was having a very hard time and eventually got involved with Alive and Running suicide prevention organization, which helped her cope with her loss while helping others. I went to a meeting she had in New Hartford (not with Alive and Running) and really felt understood hearing others’ stories and learning how others cope with and work through their trauma. Fast forward a couple years, Kobey is now on the board for Alive and Running and trying to get QPR, Question, Persuade, Refer training into as many schools as she can. This is when I decided to ask our administration and guidance counselor if we could bring the training into JCSD for the middle and high school students. Luckily, everyone was on board from the beginning and Ryan Nesbit came in on 2 different Wednesdays to present. The presentations cover the same information but Ryan is a little more sensitive with the younger kids and until Janesville, he had never presented to 6th graders.”

Parent permission was required and the following information was sent to them:

QPR - just like CPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught gatekeeper training in the world. 

Ryan Nesbit has taught this course around 200 times.  He lives in Jesup with his wife and 17, 15, and 12 year-old children.  He has been a high school youth group leader for 14 years between Ankeny and Jesup. Ryan is Co-Director of Alive & Running Iowa for Suicide Awareness & Prevention.  This non-profit works to stop suicide and support those who have lost someone to suicide. Ryan lost his best friend to suicide at age 15.  Ryan openly talks in presentations about his own suicide loss and his own struggles with suicidal ideations during high school. 

Question, Persuade, and Refer is a 2 hour suicide intervention training.  Attendees learn how to ask the suicide Question, how to Persuade people to seek help, and how to Refer them for help.  Each attendee took home the QPR booklet for future reference on how to assist anyone that is struggling.

QPR Objectives

KEY COMPONENTS COVERED IN TRAINING:

  • 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

OTHER COMPONENTS COVERED IN TRAINING:

  • Statistics

  • Suicide Loss and Grief

  • Suicidal Ideations

  • Resources for Suicide Prevention

Ms. Eibey had these final thoughts, “You never know what someone is going through. Your kind works could be just the nudge someone needs to keep going.”

For additional information:  https://www.aliveandrunningiowa.com/