Suicide Assessment, Intervention and Prevention Training

This program is designed to develop a good team of youth and adults as a suicide assessment, intervention and prevention team for your community. Recent reports from First Nations communities across Canada indicate suicide attempts and completions are on the rise once again and are affecting all age groups. Adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 19 years are at highest risk and a dramatic increase is also occurring with the 20 to 29 year age groups and older. There is additional concern that the problem will continue to escalate because there is a serious problem with dangerous and highly addictive stimulant drugs flooding First Nations communities. Since alcohol and drug abuse are also instrumental in fueling suicides this training program includes three evening workshops for all community members to help them understand the real truth about alcohol and drugs and the role they play in suicides.

This training program will assist participants in the development of assessment, intervention and prevention skills, including risk factors when a person identifies thoughts or behaviors about suicide. Skills development includes discussions and case histories that provide high levels of individual and group exercises in suicide ideation. Through these interactive experiential lessons the participants are taught the proper response procedures including legal and ethical responsibilities. Participants will learn: The myths about suicide, understanding suicide, statistical information, suicide rates among Native youth, predominant times when most Native suicides take place, the role substance abuse plays in suicides, patterns of suicide, why suicides are happening, assessing risks with adolescents, assessing risks with teens, assessing risks with adults, signs and symptoms of suicidal behaviors, methods of obtaining information, how to properly intervene, intervention strategies, how to prevent suicides, obtaining anti-suicide agreements, case management of the suicidal person. This extensive training will give participants the skills to effectively and properly respond to suicidal people, properly intervene and prevent the suicide from taking place.

NOTE: This program is open to as many as 30 participants ages 14 and up.