Suicide prevention training offered

Suicide prevention training will be held at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on October 3, 2018 from noon to 2 p.m. There is no charge for this course.

"Our church council felt that this would be a valued service to offer in the community," said Pastor Ron Gregg. "There's no better time than now to talk about the warning signs of suicide and the steps we can all take to spread awareness and help save lives."

The instructor, Claudia Bisso-Getzer, is an experienced doctor of psychology who is also certified in QPR Suicide Prevention Training. Her 20 years of experience in trauma therapy has led her to focus on this specialty.

She is bilingual in English and Spanish, which has opened doors to many more people in need of mental health assistance. Her work has been with families, children and adolescents in California for Contra Costa County Mental Health Department and juvenile facilities.

"The training program is innovative, practical and friendly," Bisso-Getzer said. "Participants will learn the warning signs and the three-step QPR method. Educational material is included in the training.

"We all have a role to play in advancing suicide prevention and to raise public awareness to understand suicide, to have better identification of risk and to refer people at risk. We hope to increase factors that help, reinforce and protect people from suicide," she explained.

This program is presented in collaboration with St. Charles Hospital.

To register, call Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 541-549-5831.