LAGRANGE — The LaGrange County Child Abuse and Neglect Collaborative continues to advocate for child and youth safety in LaGrange County by highlighting local suicide prevention initiatives and sharing best practices from the Center for Disease Control.
Parkview LaGrange Hospital is offering free suicide prevention trainings using the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) technique throughout 2026. Classes are offered virtually and online. More information can be found at https://www.parkview.com/medical-services/behavioral-health/suicide-prevention.
Parkview LaGrange Hospital also offers a Surviving Loss by Suicide group on the third Thursday of each month at their location, providing a compassionate, healing environment for survivors.
At Iris Family Support Center, case managers stand ready to walk with families through crisis moments and relational challenges through the Community Partners for Child Safety program, free and available to any LaGrange County family with children 18 or younger living at home. More information can be found at www.irisfamily.org/community-partners.
A leading cause of suicide in youth is online bullying and harassment. At Iris Family Support Center, Community Outreach Coordinators offer the NetSmartz curriculum, coaching kids and caregivers on online safety and smart decision making. This training is available by request at www.irisfamily.org/prevention-education.
Those who are interested in learning more or getting involved can join the LaGrange County Child Abuse & Neglect Facebook group or attend monthly meetings. Members of the collaborative are also available to give 30-minute presentations to local businesses, churches, and community groups about how to identify and report child abuse, neglect, and human trafficking and how to connect families to resources. To schedule a presentation, email Julie Poertner, poertnerj@crossroadsuw.org.
