When it comes to helping someone you know about their mental health and possible thoughts about suicide, sometimes getting started is the hardest part.  Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski travels around the state offering training in resiliency and Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR), which is used for suicide prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 49,000 Americans died by suicide in 2023, which is a fraction of the 1.5 million who attempted it and the 12.8 million who seriously thought about it. Joski admits that for many, it is a conversation that many try to avoid if they identify a friend, a family member, or themselves in need. He believes that, in that moment, we should become vulnerable and ask those tough questions in hopes that persuading and referring them to get additional help will lead to a happier outcome.

Joski says organizations and businesses can reach out to him to host resiliency and QPR training, adding that he believes it is part of his job to get the information out for people to learn. The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department Suicide Prevention Outreach program is this year’s beneficiary of this year’s Dairy Days Dash 5K in Luxemburg on June 7th.