John Day Training Raises Suicide Awareness

Community Counseling Solutions holds QPR suicide prevention training to help recognize warning signs and offer hope.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 4:30pm

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Community Counseling Solutions in John Day, Oregon recently held a QPR suicide prevention training to teach attendees how to recognize the signs of suicide, persuade individuals to seek help, and refer them to appropriate resources. The training highlighted sobering suicide statistics and emphasized the importance of listening and offering hope to those contemplating self-harm.

Why it matters

Suicide is a major public health issue, with over 50,000 deaths annually in the US. The training aims to empower community members to take action and prevent these tragedies, especially among high-risk populations like veterans, LGBTQ individuals, and rural residents.

The details

The QPR training taught attendees to question individuals about suicidal intent, persuade them to seek help, and refer them to crisis resources. Presenter Brett Koss, the CCS law enforcement liaison, stressed that almost all suicide intervention efforts are met with relief rather than anger. The training covered alarming suicide statistics, including the fact that firearms are the leading cause of suicide deaths, and that certain demographics like white males, the elderly, and Native Americans are at highest risk.

  • The QPR training was held on March 26, 2026 at the CCS office in John Day, Oregon.
  • Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the US, accounting for almost 50,000 deaths annually.

The players

Community Counseling Solutions

A local mental health organization that provides crisis services and suicide prevention training in the John Day, Oregon area.

Brett Koss

The law enforcement liaison and training presenter for Community Counseling Solutions.

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What they’re saying

“The biggest contributor to preventing suicide is simply listening with sincerity and recognizing the warning signs of suicide.”

— Brett Koss, Law Enforcement Liaison and Training Presenter

“Koss stressed at the training that almost all efforts to persuade somebody not to commit suicide are met with relief rather than anger.”

— Brett Koss, Law Enforcement Liaison and Training Presenter

What’s next

Community Counseling Solutions is willing to provide additional QPR suicide prevention training to schools, churches, and other organizations upon request.

The takeaway

This training highlights the critical role that community members can play in suicide prevention by learning to recognize warning signs, offer support, and connect individuals in crisis with the appropriate resources. Empowering more people to take action can help reduce the devastating impact of suicide.