October 2017
More Than 900 Students Trained in QPR
Suicide Prevention
For the second year, CCSP Task Force partnered with the West Chester Area School District to present QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention program to the entire 9th grade class. More than 900 freshmen, attending three different high schools, completed the 1.5 hour course on October 11. The program was presnted by CCSP Task Force members and school district professionals who are certified QPR instructors.

QPR will be offered to parents and other members of the West Chester school communities in the coming months. Earlier in October, more than 60 PennDot employees also completed the QPR training presented by CCSP Task Force members.

QPR is a nationally acclaimed suicide prevention program that has been researched and found effective. To learn more, go to QPR institute.
Plan to attend the next CCSP Task Force Quarterly Meeting on November 8 !
CCSP transitioned to quarterly meetings in August, 2017, and the next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 8 from 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM at the Government Services Center in West Chester.

In November, we will have speakers on the topic of limiting access to lethal means and someone from Gun Sense Chester County will speak about their organization and efforts.
We will also talk about holding our officer elections in February.

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Before the Nov. 8 meeting, please take a few minutes to respond to the brief CCSP Task Force online survey! Use this link .
Suicide Prevention Month Observed Locally

September was National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to learn more about this public health concern. This year, CCSP collaborated with Peyton Heart Project to increase awareness. The project of distributing crocheted hearts with messages of hope were inspired by a young man who lost his life to suicide. Nancy Harkins, who lost her grandson to suicide in 1992, and her daughter-in-law Gail McDyre, crocheted more than 500 hearts that were distributed throughout the county. CCSP Task Force members left the small hearts in random locations, from hiking trails, to public restrooms, throughout the month.

On September 14, CCSP held a Liv Live Awareness Concert at East Goshen Park. CCSP has held 33 Liv Live Concerts at various venues throughout the county, since 2006. Check out the Facebook Page to learn more.
Chester County
Creates Campaign
for Suicide Prevention
A year-long, county-wide awareness campaign for suicide prevention has been launched this month by Chester County's Departments of Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Human Services, in cooperation with CCSP Task Force.

Beginning this month, transit shelter ads, such as the one pictured to the right, and billboard ads, such as the one pictured below, will be featured at various locations throughout the county. These ads will run for approximately four weeks at a time from West Grove to Phoenixville, as well as West Chester, Coatesville, and other areas. These public service announcements may change slightly, and will be on display through next August.
Regional Symposium on Suicide Prevention
to Address Addiction

Promote Hope: Where Addiction Meets Suicide is the topic for this year's Regional Suicide Prevention Conference, planned for November 9 from 8:25 AM until 4:30 PM at the Springfield Country Club. The event is being hosted by the Delaware County Suicide Prevention Task Force. Find out more or register at this link .
Remember to check out the CCSP Task Force social medial to stay connected. If you have questions or information relevant for the next CCSP Task Force meeting, or if you would like more information on anything published in this update, be in touch at ccsptaskforce@gmail.com.

If you or someone you care about needs help for a mental health concern or crisis, contact Valley Creek Crisis Intervention at 610-280-3270. For information on Chester County's Mental Health Services, go to the MH/IDD website at www.chesco.org/mhidd.