SDSU Extension offers virtual suicide prevention training for farm families

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is offering virtual suicide prevention training for farm families called Questions, Persuade, Refer (QPR).

QPR is a 90-minute, evidence-based training that teaches three simple steps anyone can learn. People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, offer hope and get people the help they need.

The next workshop is offered online via Zoom at 6 p.m. CST on Nov. 19, 2025. It is free to attend. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link, and space is limited. To register, visit SDSU Extension Events page and search “QPR”.

This session is designed for farm and ranch families. Instructors Connie Strunk, SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Field Specialist, and Leacey Brown, SDSU Extension Gerontology Field Specialist, work alongside agricultural communities every day and understand the realities of rural life. Their experience gives them a unique perspective on what it’s like when times are tough and how important it is to have tools that can help.

Those who live in rural places face unique and uncontrollable stressors, particularly those involved with production agriculture, Brown said, listing things like weather, fluctuating commodity prices and rising input costs as examples.

“People living in rural communities are all too familiar with suicide. It is not uncommon to know a family that has experienced a death by suicide,” Brown said.

She and Strunk said when rural families face these challenges, they are often left to face them on their own. Sometimes leading to significant mental and emotional distress.

“Just as people trained in CPR help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of suicide crisis and learn how to question, persuade and refer someone to help,” Strunk said.

For more information, contact Leacey Brown, SDSU Extension Gerontology Field Specialist.