Copyright cleveland.com
LORAIN, Ohio — Lorain City Schools recently took a different approach to the standard professional development day: teaching educators in the district how to save a life. District staff participated in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training – which provides educators with new skills to keep students safe and supported when they are struggling – during a day-long program at Lorain High School. The training, previously offered to bus drivers last year, has now been extended to reach the adults who spend their days in classrooms, hallways and cafeterias with students. The QPR framework teaches provides practical tools to recognize warning signs of a mental health crisis, ask direct questions, listen without judgment, stay with the student and then connect them with the right level of support, whether that is a school counselor, administrator or outside crisis service, according to a news release. “By investing professional development time in QPR, Lorain City Schools is working to ensure that more adults in every building know how to spot warning signs and respond with care,” the district said in the release. “The goal is a learning environment where students feel seen, where concerns are taken seriously and where every classroom is a safer place to speak up and ask for help.” Safety Officer Santiago Ruiz facilitated the training session, which emphasized compassionate communication and genuine interest rather than confrontational approaches. Participants engaged in exercises focused on recognizing subtle behavioral changes, initiating check-ins with students and asking follow-up questions that go beyond surface-level answers. Ruiz presented realistic scenarios and examples of language that might indicate a student is experiencing feelings of being overwhelmed, angry or hopeless. He advised staff against intensifying situations—what he described as “taking the door off the hinges”—when students shuts down or lash out. Instead, he recommended allowing space before attempting meaningful dialogue.
