Two wellness training classes planned for July 14

University of South Alabama employees have two more opportunities this summer to take part in H2O Wellness Partner training sessions, which include QPR suicide prevention education and other strategies for helping refer those who may need more care.  

Modeled after CPR, QPR stands for question, persuade, and refer — three steps that can help save a life. It is designed as an emergency mental health intervention with the aim of interrupting a crisis and directing a person to proper care.

So far, 30 employees have been trained as H2O Wellness Partners, said Kim Crawford Meeks, BCC, MDiv, spiritual health and counseling manager for USA Health.  

The new H2O Wellness Partners training sessions began in May in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month to strengthen mental health support across the workplace.

“Our goal is to have one or two H2O Wellness Partners in every unit and department,” Crawford Meeks said. “Participants will attend quarterly training sessions covering topics such as QPR suicide prevention, mental health first aid and healthy coping skills.”

The next sessions are:

• July 14, 2 to 4 p.m., Strada Patient Care Center, Room 1101 
• July 14, 5 to 7 p.m., Strada Patient Care Center, Room 1101 

Please sign up online. These are the final training opportunities this summer though others will be offered in the fall and winter. 

The plan for H2O Wellness Partners is to share coping resources during department huddles, make wellness materials available as needed, build personal coping toolkits and connect employees with spiritual and emotional support resources available within USA Health and the community.

Those who complete the two-hour course will receive a badge pin and office door magnets to identify staff members as H2O Wellness Partners. Additional video resources also will be provided to help with how to utilize the resources once training is complete.