ASIST : Suicide Intervention Training

ASIST: Suicide Intervention Training

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

ASIST is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first-aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants don’t need any formal training to attend the workshop—ASIST can be learned and used by anyone.

This free training is limited to 30 participants age 16 and over. Minors must have parental consent. The training will be held on the second floor of the Oyate Health Center in the conference center. This is a two day, all day long training. This training in brought to you by Connecting With Our Youth in partnership with LivingWorks.

Goals and objectives

In the course of the two-day workshop, ASIST participants learn to:

• Understand the ways personal and societal attitudes affect views on suicide and interventions

• Provide guidance and suicide first-aid to a person with thoughts of suicide in ways that meet their individual safety needs

• Identify the key elements of an effective suicide safety plan and the actions required to implement it

• Appreciate the value of improving and integrating suicide prevention resources in the community at large

• Recognize other important aspects of suicide prevention including life-promotion and self-care

ASIST is a resource for the whole community. It helps people apply suicide first-aid in many settings: with family, friends, co-workers, and teammates, as well as formal caregiving roles. Many organizations have incorporated ASIST into professional development for their

employees. Its widespread use in various communities creates a common language to understand suicide safety issues and communicate across different organizational backgrounds.

The project described was supported by Grant Number 5H79SM082122-05 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Funding for this training was made possible by SAMHSA. The views expressed in written training materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.