Another
contributing factor to
the risk for suicide
for shipboard
employees pertains to
the accessibility of
alcohol. Employees are
able to purchase
alcohol for less than
it costs to buy a
bottle of water. One
former employee
described paying $1.25
for an alcoholic drink
in the crew lounge. In
a guest bar on the
ship, the same drink
could cost a passenger
as much as $15.00.
Isolation from loved
ones, feelings of
loneliness, sadness or
depression, with easy
access to affordable
alcohol is a tragic
formula for disaster.
QPR Theory
As
part of QPR
Gatekeeper
Training, Dr. Paul
Quinnett lists the
following
assumptions about
people at high risk.
Those
most at risk for suicide:
Tend not to
self-refer for treatment
Tend to be
treatment resistant
Often abuse drugs
and/or alcohol
Go undetected
Go untreated (and
remain at risk for suicide)
-Paul
Quinnett, Ph.D.
Founder
& CEO, QPR Institute
The Foundation’s
Customized QPR
Gatekeeper
Instructor Training
Several
Foundation member
cruise lines have
endorsed the QPR
Gatekeeper model for
training leadership,
peers and co-workers
on how to recognize
and avert a suicide
crisis before it is
too late.
Recognizing the
applicability of the
assumptions
underlying QPR
Theory to cruise
line employees and
the severe
punishment practiced
by many cruise lines
when employees
indicate a need for
help, has caused
many companies to
seek practical
solutions. QPR is a
proven success model
for saving lives as
it has been heavily
researched over its
many years of existence.
The
Foundation’s
customized cruise
line program
includes discussion
of risk factors and
warning signs
specifically
associated with
shipboard personnel.
The
Train-the-Trainer
model has been
endorsed by several
lines and more than
one plans to offer
an on-line
Train-the-Trainer
model as a way to
increase the number
of Gatekeepers on board.
In
addition to offering
Train-the-Trainer to
shipboard leaders,
one major cruise
line has become
proactive with
presenting QPR
Gatekeeper to new
crew members during
orientation
training—before they
begin work on board.
In addition to
training the new
crew members about
their job and duties
associated with
their role on ships,
employees are given
information about
the challenges and
hardships that go
along with the job.
And more
importantly, how to
reach out for help
when emotional
challenges arise.
The new hires also
are trained as
Gatekeepers. They
learn how to
recognize risk
factors as well as
warning signs in
peers and co-workers
and how to take
action to prevent
the crisis from escalating.
As the number of
cruise line guests
increases
annually, the
number of
employees needed
to serve the
guests, also
grows—and the
employee pool is
global in nature.
According
to
Cruise Market
Watch,
worldwide, the ocean
cruise industry had
an annual passenger
compound growth rate
of 6.63% from 1990 –
2020. The growth to
date has been driven
by larger capacity
new ships, their
diversification,
more local ports,
more destinations
and new
on-board/on-shore
activities that
match demands of
consumers. The
industry is also
expanding rapidly,
globally. As the
number of cruise
line guests
increases annually,
the number of
employees needed to
serve the guests,
also grows.
Consistent with the
increase in suicides
throughout the world
as reported by the
World Health
Organization (WHO),
anecdotal data
indicates that
suicides by
shipboard employees
and crew members is
also rising.
The
Foundation
recognizes the
efforts of many
cruise line
companies to
increase awareness
of the challenges
faced by the
employees on ships
and stands ready to
help educate and
train their
leadership teams as
well as all ship personnel.
QPR
Train-the-Trainer and Gatekeeper will
be held on
Friday,
December 6 at
Carnival
House, 100 Harbour
Parade, Southampton,
SO15 1ST.
Train-the-Trainer
is from 8:30 –
17:00 with a lunch
break from 12:00 –
13:00.
Certification
entitles you to
train an unlimited
number of people
for three years.
Gatekeeper will be
held from 13:00 – 16:00.
Seating
is limited to 20,
and over half of the
seats are already
taken, so please contact:
Dede
Young at
dede.young@fafonline.org or
Carolyn
Coarsey at carolyn@higherresources.tempurl.host
to
register.
Priority
will be given to
those who wish to
train in their own
companies. Seats
that are not taken
for the
Train-the-Trainer
will be open to all
who wish to be
trained as Gatekeepers.
