Catoosa County Coroner Jimmy Spurling’s ongoing efforts to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors are enhanced with a grant to continue a critical community outreach program.  

Spurling recently applied for and received a $2,500 grant from the “Building a Region of Resilience” program, sponsored through the Catoosa County Family Collaborative. The grant is designated for the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention program and materials. QPR is an approximately 45-minute program that Spurling takes into the community’s churches, civic groups, and schools. More information is available from the QPR Institute’s website at www.qprinstitute.com.

During the grant application process Spurling documented his work in suicide prevention that includes being a certified QPR Gatekeeper Instructor. Spurling has held numerous classes that certified 358 people in QPR, which were in schools, Promise Pediatrics (physicians and staff certified), along with certifying 60 chaplains with the Georgia Association of Law Enforcement Chaplains, and in numerous churches, civic groups, and mental health facilities.

Anyone interested in taking or hosting a QPR class can contact Catoosa County Coroner Jimmy Spurling at james.spurling@catoosa.com or (706) 965-6800.