Grassroots hosted, in partnership with Konev Consulting and Willamette Health Council, a series of workshops aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of the Russian Old Believer community. Trainings reached an audience of more than 50 attendees across different workshops comprised of QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer - Suicide Intervention Training, and an Intergenerational Trauma Training focusing on resilience).

Key Outcomes

• Participants across all trainings demonstrated increased knowledge, engagement, and a willingness to address mental health concerns within their families and communities resulting in more than 50 total bystanders ready to engage in the life-saving bystander work of suicide prevention.

• The involvement of spiritual leadership provides an opportunity to integrate mental health awareness and suicide prevention into faith and community spaces.

• A significant success emerged when a community member expressed interest in becoming a suicide prevention trainer and exploring higher education pathways toward becoming a clinician. This reflects the strong need—and growing potential—for bilingual and culturally specific mental health services within the community.