Crawford County Uses Mental Health Awareness Month to Boost 988 Lifeline and QPR Training

TL;DR: Crawford County is leveraging Mental Health Awareness Month to publicize the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training, aiming to increase community readiness for mental‑health emergencies.

Context May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a national effort to reduce stigma and expand access to care. In Crawford County, the health department views awareness as the first step toward connecting residents with needed services. Health Officer Sonya Lenzendorf emphasizes that “access to care starts with awareness,” underscoring the link between knowledge and help‑seeking behavior.

Key Facts - The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24‑hour support via call, text, or chat, linking callers to trained counselors for immediate assistance. - QPR training is an evidence‑based program that teaches participants to recognize warning signs of a mental‑health crisis and to refer individuals to professional help. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with sample sizes exceeding 1,000 participants have shown that QPR increases participants’ confidence in intervening and improves referral rates. - Crawford County’s outreach includes a free online portal, CredibleMind, offering vetted information, local service directories, and self‑help tools. The Driftless Region Mental Health Coalition coordinates regional partners to amplify these resources. - Postvention efforts—support for communities after a suicide—are also being coordinated, though specific outcome data are pending.

What It Means By promoting 988 and QPR, the county aims to shift from passive awareness to active intervention. The 988 Lifeline’s multimodal access (call, text, chat) removes barriers for people who may not feel comfortable speaking aloud. QPR’s proven efficacy suggests that community members who complete the training are more likely to intervene early, potentially preventing escalation to suicide. Practical takeaways for residents: 1. Save the 988 number and test the text or chat option to become familiar with the service. 2. Register for QPR training through the health department; the program typically lasts two hours and requires no prior mental‑health expertise. 3. Use CredibleMind to locate local support groups, therapists, or crisis hotlines. 4. Initiate brief check‑ins with neighbors or coworkers; a simple “How are you doing?” can trigger a referral to 988 if needed.

The combined strategy of awareness, easy‑to‑use crisis lines, and skill‑building training creates a layered safety net. As more residents engage with these tools, the county hopes to see a measurable drop in crisis incidents and an increase in early referrals.

What to watch next: County officials will release preliminary data on training participation rates and 988 call volume after the month’s campaign, providing early indicators of impact.