RENTON, Wash., Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to the call of a national crisis — the suicide rate among military members and veterans which now stands at a staggering twenty-two a day -- the Invictus Foundation announced today that it has partnered with the QPR Institute to offer best practice suicide prevention training to provider members of its Welcome Home Network program using the QPR Institute's training programs. QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer. Welcome Home provider members will be trained around an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons created by Dr. Paul Quinnett.  The goal of the Partnership is to mutually promote suicide prevention by having provider members of the Welcome Home Network program participate in the QPR Institute's suicide prevention training programs.

The Welcome Home Network program recruits and educates volunteer behavioral health professionals who become part of a network whose goal is to bridge the gap in behavioral health services for soldiers returning from service, veterans and their families. Among troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, approximately 40 percent of soldiers, a third of Marines, and half of the National Guard members report psychological problems, but behavioral health services are in short supply. To find out more about the Invictus Foundation and its Welcome Home Network program please visit their Web site at http://www.invictusfoundation.org

"A primary goal of the Invictus Foundation is the reduction of suicides among our military members and veterans, and their family members", said Peter J. Whalen, Founder & CEO of the Invictus Foundation. "Integral to achieving that mission is the training of Welcome Home Network provider members in suicide prevention. It was clear to Dr. Quinnett and me that we share similar goals and objectives. We believe that by working together, the Invictus Foundation and the QPR Institute can accomplish more together than apart."

"We believe there will be significant correlation between researched and tested suicide prevention training programs and a reduction in suicides among our military members and veterans, and their family members, thus enabling the Partnership to obtain the primary goal of suicide reduction in this cohort group," said Dr. Paul Quinnett, CEO of the QPR Institute. To find out more about QPR Institute's mission please visit their Web site at http://www.qprinstitute.com

CONTACT:
Peter J. Whalen
Invictus Foundation
Email
5412 NE 6th Court / Ste 200
Renton, WA  98059-4982
1-855-544-PTSD (7873)

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SOURCE Invictus Foundation