Hi this is Bailey–and in this episode of Summit in 6 we are actually bringing back our Healthcast after we took a hiatus during the Covid years! We are back and recharged and ready to deliver health-related content to the same feed that gives you Summit in 6. Alright, let’s get into it!

For today’s episode, we are going to get into a topic that is hard to talk about, but really doesn’t have to be… Today we are talking about suicide, because September is suicide awareness month. But before we begin and introduce our guest on the show, I just wanted to mention that if you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide….you can always dial 911 for help. Or call or Text 988m the national suicide and crisis lifeline.

Today we are talking with Chantel Guadarrama, Behavioral Health Specialist with the Summit County Health Department. Hi Chantal, take a moment to introduce yourself

My name is Chantal, and I’ve worked at the Health Department for just a little under four years. A large part of my work is on suicide prevention, where I get to work with youth, families, and community partners to build connection, reduce stigma, and make sure people know there are resources and hope available.

Tell me about Summit County’s suicide rates– is it even an issue here?

It’s a really important question, because suicide in Summit County is one of our top five leading causes of death for people under 44 here. Our suicide rate is about 17 per 100,000 residents, which is higher than the national average.

So in a small community like ours, that impact is huge I’m sure…because each loss ripples out to families, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

Exactly, this really shows how important this topic is. Specifically youth suicide in Utah. Suicide is the number one leading cause of death for ages 10-17. Locally, we do see concern, school surveys here show that 15% of students in Summit County report they’ve seriously considered suicide in the past year. While that’s not the same as a death rate, it highlights there is real risk and worry among our youth. I also want to add that suicide can impact all of us but, suicide is preventable, and none of us are alone in this. Each of us has the power to notice, to reach out, and to connect someone to help.

I feel like people can wonder if by dialing 911 if they don’t think it’s a super emergency situation, but they (or someone else) does need help, they may be clogging the line, taking resources away from people who need them…

That’s such a common worry,  people think, if I call 911 and it’s not a life-or-death emergency, am I taking resources away from someone else? The good news is, now we have 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you’re worried about yourself or someone else, but it doesn’t feel like a medical emergency, 988 is the right number to call. You’ll be connected directly to trained crisis counselors who will listen, talk you through what’s going on, and help figure out next steps. 988 is there to take that pressure off 911 and give you the specialized help you need.

So this is a place where people can get answers to their questions. Get advice. Even if it’s not for them…and they are trying to help someone else out. This line is to have a general conversation around wellbeing and give tools and strategies to get to a safer mental space…What are things you do in your work with the Health Department to educate our community around this topic and prevent suicide?

One of the programs we offer is an evidence based training called “QPR”. This stands for Question, Persuade Refer. It’s like CPR, but for mental health. It’s a short, evidence-based training that teaches everyday people how to recognize the warning signs of suicide, ask the direct question, persuade someone to get help, and connect them to resources. You don’t need to be a therapist, you just learn how to step in and possibly save a life. We have trained community leaders and the class is offered in both Spanish and English.

So I know there is some misinformation out there about asking someone if they are having thoughts of suicide. Can I just ask someone?

A lot of people worry that asking might put the idea of suicide in someone’s head. The research is clear: it doesn’t. What it does is show– is that you care. So you can and you should ask. The key is how you ask. And that’s where QPR training comes in. You want to be calm, direct, and compassionate:

So I should be straightforward and ask: ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’

That honesty gives the person permission to share what they’re really feeling.

I am always struggling with how to correctly use the right words around this topic. In preparing for this interview today, I was wondering if it is OK to say “died by suicide”. I feel like there has always been hesitancy around sharing the facts about something terrible that has happened.

That’s such an important question. For a long time, people avoided saying the word ‘suicide’ because of stigma, or they thought not saying it would somehow protect people. What we know now is that avoiding the word actually adds to the silence and shame.

It is absolutely OK,  and important,  to use the word suicide when we’re talking about prevention. The key is being mindful of how we talk about it. For example, instead of saying ‘committed suicide,’ which ties it to crime or sin, we use terms like ‘died by suicide’ or ‘took their life.’ That language recognizes it as a public health issue, not a moral failing.

Being direct,  and compassionate,  breaks down stigma and opens the door for honest conversation. And that’s what saves lives.”

Well, is that where QPR training can be impactful? How does this help me as a person who is not a mental health professional?

Even one person can help save a life. It gives you the skills to know how to ask these tough questions properly, notice the warning signs and refer someone to help.

How do we know these trainings work?
The Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition legislative reports presented in 2023, it showed that 6,272 people took the skills based QPR classes and 94.2% of people who took the training said that it gave them the skills needed to have a successful intervention with a person at risk.

Ok–so how do I get this training?

Getting QPR training is actually really simple. The Summit County Health Department and some of our partners host FREE QPR sessions throughout the year for schools, community groups, and workplaces. The training is short, about 60 to 90 minutes — and once you complete it, you walk away with concrete tools: how to ask the question, how to persuade someone to accept help, and how to refer them to resources like 988.

And for organizations, we can bring the training to you. If you’re a business, church, or community group, you can request a trainer to come to your site.

The great thing about QPR is that it gives regular people the confidence to ask the tough question and connect someone to help.

Absolutely–suicide prevention works best when everyday people, friends, neighbors, peers, know how to recognize the warning signs and step in. We also host “train the trainer” events to either help refresh the memory of an existing trainer or to train new QPR specialists. We will have one of these coming up in 2026.

So all our listeners can stay up to date by subscribing to our Summit County Health newsletter: summitcountyhealth.org

Thank you so much for coming in today to speak about such an important topic, Chantal!