QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is a 90-minute, evidence-based suicide prevention, education, and response training developed by the QPR Institute. QPR teaches participants how to recognize the warning signs of suicidal distress, take action, connect to resources, and offer hope using 3 simple steps: Question, Persuade, and Refer. QPR training sessions are free and open to all Boston College undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff.
Key components covered in training
By participating in this interactive training, you will learn how to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone who may be experiencing suicidal distress. This training equips you to:听
- Recognize Warning Signs: Identify and understand indicators of suicidal distress, and learn how to take action.
- Ask Directly About Suicide: Practice communication skills and gain confidence when asking directly about life stressors and suicidal ideation.
- Connect to Resources & Offer Hope: Increase awareness of campus resources, as well as local and national resources, to effectively connect individuals to care and offer hope.
QPR training sessions are held throughout the semester and are open to all students, faculty, and staff.
Upon completion, you will receive an official QPR Gatekeeper Certificate (valid for 1 year) alongside additional suicide prevention resources. QPR training sessions are hosted in-person and virtually throughout the academic year, and specific group trainings are available upon request.听
By completing this training, you become an active part of Boston College鈥檚 mental health promotion and suicide prevention campaign, 鈥淢ental Health Matters: Let鈥檚 Talk About It鈥�. Your engagement in QPR helps reduce stigma, empower a campus community of care, and save lives.听
Questions or want to learn more about QPR? Please contact Kelly Hughes, Assistant Director for Mental Health & Wellness, at kelly.hughes@bc.edu.
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Open Session Dates for Undergraduate & Graduate Students | Fall Semester 2026
- Tuesday, September 8 | 2:30pm-4:00pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- Friday, September 18 |听 12:00pm-1:30pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- Thursday, September 24 | 3:30pm-5:00pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- Monday, October 5 | 10:30am-12:00pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- Wednesday, October 21 | 3:30pm-5:00pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- Tuesday, October 27 | 2:30pm鈥�4:00pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- Monday, November 2 | 12:00pm鈥�1:30pm (In-Person, Maloney 426)
- Friday, November 13 | 1:00pm鈥�2:30pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- *Wednesday, November 18 | 11:00am-12:30pm (Virtual)*
- Thursday, December 3 | 1:00pm-2:30pm (In-Person, Maloney 426)
Open Session Dates for Faculty & Staff
- *Wednesday, September 2 | 12:00pm鈥�1:30pm (Virtual)*
- Friday, September 11 | 10:30am-12:00pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- Wednesday, September 16 | 11:00am-12:30pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- *Tuesday, October 13 | 12:00pm-1:30pm (Virtual)*
- Thursday, October 22 | 2:00pm鈥�3:30pm (In-Person, Maloney Hall 426)
- *Tuesday, November 10 | 11:30am-1:00pm (Virtual)
- *Wednesday, December 2 | 10:00am鈥�11:30am(Virtual)
**Please note in-person and virtual training options.
自慰视频 C.H.A.T.S: Helpful Tips for a Tough Conversation
A Practical Communication Guide for Mental Health & Suicide Prevention
Designed as an additional tool to supplement QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training. 自慰视频 C.H.A.T.S. provides an actionable educational framework supporting Boston College鈥檚 comprehensive approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention.
Addressing suicide can feel overwhelming, and many people wish they knew more about how to navigate these difficult conversations. This framework is designed to provide a step-by-step guide to ease apprehension, equip you with foundational communication strategies, and increase confidence in your ability to intervene compassionately, offer hope, and connect others to campus mental health resources.
Get Fully Trained with QPR Suicide Prevention, Education, and Response Training: While 自慰视频 C.H.A.T.S. offers immediate, actionable talking points, we strongly encourage all undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff to complete a free, 90-minute QPR Suicide Prevention Training. QPR provides in-depth gatekeeper skills, practical scenarios with experiential learning, and a more comprehensive training to help save lives.
What does 自慰视频 C.H.A.T.S stand for?
C.H.A.T.S. is a mnemonic designed to guide you step-by-step through a conversation with someone experiencing emotional distress or suicidal ideation:
- C 鈥� Communicate Concern
- H 鈥� Have Empathy & Compassion
- A 鈥� Ask Questions (Directly About Suicide)
- T 鈥� Take Initiative & Connect to Resources
- S 鈥� Seek Support For Yourself
C = Communicate Concern
- Lead with Care: Start by explicitly expressing care and concern to establish emotional safety:
- "I care about you and want to support you right now."
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- "I care about you and want to support you right now."
- Use "I" Statements: Point out specific, nonjudgmental observations in behavior rather than making broad generalizations:
- "I鈥檝e noticed you don鈥檛 seem like yourself鈥�"
- "I鈥檓 worried about how exhausted and overwhelmed you feel鈥︹��
- 鈥淚 feel like you鈥檝e been navigating a lot right now鈥︹��
- Normalize Any Nerves: Acknowledge any hesitation if you feel awkward鈥攁uthenticity builds trust:
- "I'm a bit nervous bringing this up, but because I care about you, I need to check in鈥�").
- "I'm a bit nervous bringing this up, but because I care about you, I need to check in鈥�").
- Reframe Help-Seeking: Remind them that asking for support is an act of courage and strength, not a personal failure or weakness.
H = Have Empathy & Compassion
- Create a Safe, Uninterrupted Space: Choose a private, quiet setting and eliminate distractions (like cell phones) to offer your undivided presence.
- Listen to Understand, Not to "Fix": Your role is not to solve their problems or act as a therapist鈥攕imply meet them in their distress and listen closely to their experience.
- Offer Direct Verbal Validation: Avoid toxic positivity ("It'll all be fine!") or lecturing ("You have so much to live for"). Instead, acknowledge and validate their emotional reality:
- "Thank you for trusting me enough to share this with me."
- "You are not alone right now. I am right here with you."
- "I know this can be hard to talk about鈥擨鈥檓 here to listen."
- "It sounds like you have been carrying a lot lately. That must be exhausting."
A = Ask Questions, Including Directly About Suicide
- Use Open-Ended, Clarifying Questions:听Demonstrate active listening and better understand their experience before transitioning to the direst question:
- "Tell me more about what鈥檚 been going on lately..."
- "What does that feel like for you right now?"
- "Can you expand on that?"
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- Ask Directly About Suicide (QPR Standard): Avoid asking about "hurting yourself" or "harming yourself" (which can be confused with non-suicidal self-injury). Research shows asking directly about suicide does not plant the idea鈥攊t offers immediate relief and opens the door to connection and safety:
- "I care about you, and because I hear how much pain you're in, I want to ask: Are you thinking about suicide?"
- 鈥淚鈥檓 asking because I want to keep you safe: Are you thinking about killing yourself?鈥澨�
- "When people feel as overwhelmed as you do right now, they sometimes think about suicide. Are you having thoughts of killing yourself?"
- "Things sound extremely hard right now. Are you having any thoughts of suicide?"
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- Stay Calm & Focus on Safety: Maintain your composure and validate their response. Ask about their immediate needs (鈥淲hat do you need right now to feel safe?鈥�), explore their existing network of support, and offer reassurance that professional help is available.
- 鈥淲hat do you need right now to help you feel safe in this moment?鈥�
- 鈥淲ho else have you talked to about how you have been feeling lately?鈥�/鈥淲ho else would you like to include in your support?鈥�
- 鈥淗aving these feelings is a signal that it鈥檚 time to connect with a mental health professional鈥攚e can do that together."
Take Initiative & Connect to Resources听
- Build a Bridge: Frame support as a partnership while maintaining clear boundaries. Avoid simply passing on contact information; instead, make the call together, physically walk them to care, and sit with them while they connect.听
- 鈥淚 hear that you are really struggling, and I think it would be really beneficial to talk to someone who can best help you.鈥澨�
- 鈥淚 want to help, but I'm not a mental health professional. Let's connect with someone whose job it is to guide people through challenging situations like this. I will walk with you."
- "Let's explore options together to best connect you with mental health resources right now."
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- Utilize 自慰视频 Campus Mental Health Resources:
- University Counseling Services (UCS): Walk to Gasson Hall 001 or call (617) 552-3310 during business hours. After-hours/weekends: Call (617) 552-3310 (Option 2) for the Psychiatric Emergency Clinician (PEC).
- 自慰视频PD Emergency Line: Call (617) 552-4444 for immediate crisis or emergency assistance.听
- : Call, text, or chat 988听together.听
- Office of the Dean of Students (DOS): If you become aware of any thoughts or plans of suicide (past or present), first care for the individual and connect them to immediate support as needed. Afterward, submit a Student of Concern report at bc.edu/report or call (617) 552-3470 to ensure holistic follow-up support.听
S = Seek Support For Yourself
- Recognize Your Boundaries & Role: Understand your role and stay clear on the scope of your support:
- What You CAN Do:
- Listen compassionately and actively.
- Ask directly and clearly about suicide.
- Connect to professional help and campus mental health resources.
- Follow up with care and support.
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- What You CANNOT Do:.
- Act as a professional therapist or fix the problem
- Perform a formal clinical risk assessment.
- Force someone to accept help against their will.
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- Debrief with a Professional: You do not have to hold the weight of supporting someone in distress alone. Reach out to a supervisor, mentor, faculty member, or staff person afterward to process your experience safely. All campus mental health resources are available to you.听
- Build Your Personal Wellness Toolkit: Prioritize your own care and mental well-being by exploring self-care tools, wellness resources, and peer support at the Murray Center for Student Wellness (Gasson Hall 013).听