Focus Group Offers QPR and Mental Health First Aid Training

Recent suicides in Door County have sounded an alarm in our community. From 2015 to 2018, 22 lives were lost to suicide in the county, and in 2019, there were seven deaths by suicide. The Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office, which serves Door County, reports at least seven deaths by suicide in the county during 2020, with several additional deaths still under investigation.

A recently released report by the Centers for Disease Control found increases in suicides and suicidal ideation due to the pandemic and also found the rate of individuals reporting symptoms of depression and anxiety was three to four times higher than the previous year.

The Door County Mental Health Focus Group is embarking on the Lighthouse Campaign to turn this tide. Look for lighthouses around the county with messages of hope and suggestions for how to help.

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training – open to teens and adults – will be offered Jan. 26 and Feb. 9, and UW-Extension will offer Mental Health First Aid sessions as well. To find out more and register for training, visit unitedwaydc.com.