The QPR Institute offers its full institutional Suicide Risk Reduction Program for small counseling and social service organizations, including rural mental health and substance abuse treatment organizations, at discounted fees. We are aware that suicide rates are highest in rural areas and that many smaller human service organizations cannot afford to send their staff to distant cities for expensive professional training. Yet, staff competence in risk assessment and management of suicidal consumers is critical to savings lives, loss prevention, and avoiding claims of suicide-malpractice litigation.

To address these training and cost challenges, we have teamed up with the School of Social Work and Human Services, Addiction Studies Department and the Division of Educational Outreach at Eastern Washington University to deliver our highly-rated, blended online professional training programs for continuing education or college credits. These courses qualify for continuing education credits, or college credit. The college credit course requires registration with the EWU and submission of a final course paper. Course descriptions may be viewed under the Courses navigation button.

Quality control options and cost considerations
Through our distance learning options, your clinical staff can be trained to a nationally-benchmarked level of competence in suicide risk assessment knowledge and skills. We will provide you, at no cost, a turn-key template for credentialing your staff in your agency (role-plays and medical record reviews required).

Distance learning technology helps control continuing costs on the program while providing important protections to both consumers and staff though a “best practices” model for suicide risk assessment across the age range. Profiled in two recent Joint Commission publications - and as highlighted as a model program by the American Psychiatric Association Committee of Patient Safety - our blended online courses have been tested to be as effective as traditional in-class presentations.

The QPR Institute training programs can save time and money through:

  • Standardizing suicide risk data collection at intake, at critical transitions and in emergency care settings.
  • Matching level of care with level of assessed risk, thus reducing referral friction between systems of care.
  • Reducing the frequency of sentinel events and costs associated with root cause analyses for non-fatal and fatal suicidal behaviors. The current estimated cost of a single root cause analysis in staff time, lost productivity and revenue is estimated at $9,700 (source: Medical Risk Management Associates, 1999).
  • Better documentation of suicide risk and clinical decision making, both of which reduce exposure to malpractice. The QPR Institute is the winner of the J.J. Negley Associates 1998 Presidents Award for Avoiding Suicide Malpractice.
  • Saving up to 60% in training costs by using distance learning technology.

For a more complete review of this program, our theory and research, please visit other sections of this web site. To review our sustainable site license click here.

Things to consider before purchase:

  • Staff turnover averages more than 20% in many agencies. Pre-purchasing enough courses to cover turnover may save money.
  • Additional QPR programs, e.g., Certified Gatekeeper Instructors, can be added at any time.
  • Your liability insurance provider may offer a premium discount or credit for successful implementation of this program.
  • We offer train-the-trainer options to assist in program cost recovery through training other providers or organizations in your community.
  • All QPR Institute training programs and published materials come with a money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied.

Thank you for your interest