Training

The National Office for Suicide Prevention is involved in a range of training initiatives around suicide prevention and mental health promotion. However, most activities regionally are coordinated by the Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention of the HSE. If you are interested in finding out about training opportunities in your area please contact the local Resource Officer.

The NOSP is also particularly interested in developing the ASIST Training Workshop across the country.

ASIST

ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first-aid. It is suitable for all kinds of caregivers - health workers, teachers, community workers, Gardai, youth workers, volunteers, people responding to family, friends and co-workers. If you would like to make a difference in your community, come to ASIST and learn how to help.

The Opportunity 
It begins with you…

Most people thinking about suicide signal and share their pain - they offer us opportunities to respond.

Suicide intervention training can help all of us see, hear and respond to these invitations. It can also increase our confidence to ask about suicide when someone's safety may be in the balance. If someone is at risk, suicide first aid prepares us to work with them to increase their immediate safety and get further help.

The Workshop 
Learn suicide first aid…

ASIST trains participants to reduce the immediate risk of a suicide and increase the support for a person at risk.

The workshop provides opportunities to learn what a person at risk may need from others in order to keep safe and get more help. It encourages honest, open and direct talk about suicide as part of preparing people to provide suicide first aid. Participants also consider how personal attitudes and experiences might affect their helping role with a person at risk.

Active participation is encouraged. It is stimulated by audio-visuals and working with others in small groups. A suicide first aid model provides a framework for skills practice.

Attendance at the two full days is essential.

The content of the workshop may be difficult to deal with if you are feeling emotionally vulnerable. If you have suicidal thoughts, or have been recently bereaved, particularly through suicide, you may wish to delay taking part in this course until you're feeling stronger, emotionally.

ASIST in Ireland to date

More than 70 trainers have been trained to deliver the two-day workshop nationwide. They are coordinated in 12 local areas. More than 125 workshops have been delivered to over 3000 participants in the past two years.  Participants in the 2-day workshop include various health services staff, voluntary staff, community members, teachers, the clergy and many more.

An ongoing evaluation has revealed that the course significantly impacts on knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Participants are more confident about speaking with someone they are concerned may harm themselves, and engaging that person in a process of seeking help.

About LivingWorks

LivingWorks' mission is to create learning experiences that help communities prevent suicide. LivingWorks has been widely accepted and valued in Ireland since its introduction in 2003. Starting in Canada in the early 1980s, LivingWorks is now available in many other countries including Norway, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Northern Ireland and the UK. Almost half a million people have participated worldwide - over 3,000 in Ireland.

LivingWorks' commitment to quality includes reviewing feedback, updating content, improving learning processes, ongoing evaluation and trainer support.

Other LivingWorks programs are companions to ASIST. They seek to increase awareness of suicide and explore ways the whole community might respond.

Find out more: www.livingworks.net

How to Get Trained: 

Contact your local ASIST coordinator to see how you can attend the 2-day workshop or to find out more information about ASIST and suicide prevention.