Farm Stress, Mental Health and QPR Training in Watertown

Andrea Bjornestad, PhD serves as Associate Professor and Extension Mental Health Specialist at SDSU, combining academic expertise with statewide outreach through SDSU Extension. Her work focuses on delivering research-driven mental health programming across rural South Dakota and the broader region. She frequently presents statewide and nationally on mental health in agriculture, covering depression, anxiety, and recognizing when to seek help.

Dr. Bjornestad leads a SDSU Extension team that provides training in Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), which is a suicide prevention training.  Key components covered in the training include:

-How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal

-How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide

-The common causes of suicidal behavior

-The warning signs of suicide

-How to get help for someone in crisis

Participants in the afternoon session will receive a booklet and certificate of QPR completion. Child care may be available if requested in advance. Please email Joel Pakan, Director for Rural Ministries if you require child care services.

10am – coffee and gathering

10:30am – prayer service for our rural communities

11am – keynote presentation by Dr. Bjornestad on Farm Stress and Mental Health

——— break for lunch and fellowship

1pm QPR training

3pm – coffee and closing fellowship

This event is made possible through the Journeying Together in Christ initiative with the generous funding of the Lilly Foundation. For more information on rural ministries in the South Dakota Synod go to sdsynod.org/rural.