HARROGATE, Tenn. — Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Athletics coaches, athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches recently participated in a suicide prevention workshop led by Dr. Jason Kishpaugh, LMU's Director of Mental Health Counseling Services. The training introduced QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), a suicide prevention program designed to help individuals recognize warning signs, engage in supportive conversations and connect people in crisis with appropriate help.
In today's society, mental health challenges and suicide prevention remain critical issues, making awareness, education and early intervention more important than ever. Because coaches and performance staff interact with student-athletes daily, they are uniquely positioned to recognize changes in behavior, offer support and help athletes access mental health resources when needed.
"This was a heavy but incredibly valuable and necessary program for our coaching staff, athletic trainers and strength coaches," said Don Grigsby, LMU Associate Athletic Director for Sports Performance and Wellness. "Our coaches and performance staff are on the front line with our student-athletes day in and day out. They see them in practice, competition, training and throughout the challenges of college life. We want our staff to feel better prepared to recognize when an athlete may be struggling, ask the difficult questions, listen without judgment and connect that student-athlete with the help they need. The fact that our coaches took time out of their already demanding schedules, with several teams preparing for events this week, speaks volumes about how much they care about their athletes—not just as competitors, but as people. Their willingness to participate demonstrates our shared commitment to the health, safety and well-being of every Railsplitter."
"Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24," added by Dr. Jason Kishpaugh, LMU Director of Mental Health Counseling Services. "Contributing to these numbers is the commonly held belief that only mental health professionals can prevent suicide. Question, Persuade, Refer training teaches that suicide prevention is everyone's business and anyone willing to identify the risk factors/warning signs and intervene on behalf of the suicidal individual can help prevent a tragedy."
The workshop also represents an important step in LMU Athletics' continued development of its LMU Athletics Performance Team, bringing athletic training, strength and conditioning, and mental health counseling together under one collaborative umbrella. By strengthening communication and collaboration among these areas, LMU aims to provide more comprehensive support for student-athletes' physical health, performance, safety and mental well-being.
The QPR training reinforces LMU Athletics' commitment to creating an environment where student-athletes feel supported, staff members feel prepared to respond to concerns, and asking for help is recognized as a sign of strength.
One Team. One Mission. Every Student-Athlete.
