Mental health and suicide-prevention trainings

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and partners in the Minnesota Farm Suicide Prevention Campaign are offering free mental health and suicide-prevention trainings in communities across Minnesota this fall. The workshops will teach people who live and work in agricultural communities how to recognize when someone may be struggling and help connect them with support.

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) for Agriculture is a two-hour evidence-based workshop that teaches three steps to recognize warning signs, engage in supportive conversations, and connect someone at risk to appropriate care and lifesaving resources. The workshop can serve as an introduction to suicide prevention or reinforce skills for people who may have participated in similar training before. 

Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory (COMET) is a two-hour interactive workshop that teaches participants how to start a caring conversation with someone who seems sad, withdrawn, or not quite themselves. Using a seven-question guide, participants learn how to help someone who may be moving toward a mental-health crisis turn their own trajectory back toward a place of wellness.

Others who interact with farmers are encouraged to attend, including crop consultants, agricultural lenders, insurance adjusters, Extension educators, county and township officials, rural clergy, agricultural cooperative and other rural business owners, state and federal agency staff, veterinarians, and others. There is no charge to attend. The following dates are scheduled.

QPR for Agriculture:

— Sept. 15: 10 a.m.–noon, New Ulm

— Sept. 16: 10 a.m.–noon, Mora

— Sept. 17: 10 a.m.–noon, Waite Park

— Sept. 22: 10 a.m.–noon, Worthington

— Sept. 22: 10 a.m.–noon, Rochester

— Sept. 30: 10 a.m.–noon, Albert Lea

— Oct. 1: 10 a.m.–noon, Fergus Falls

— Oct. 8: 10 a.m.–noon, Willmar

— Oct. 13: 10 a.m.–noon, Buffalo

— Oct. 14: 10 a.m.–noon, Ada

— Oct. 20: 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Marshall

— Oct. 23: 10 a.m.–noon, Thief River Falls

COMET:

— Oct. 1: 10 a.m.–noon, Cloquet

— Oct. 15: 10 a.m.–noon, Grand Rapids

— Oct. 20: 10 a.m.–noon, Willmar

— Oct. 29: 10 a.m.–noon, Austin

— Oct. 30: 10 a.m.–noon, Crookston