Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

The ASIST workshop is for caregivers who want to feel more comfortable, confident and competent in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. Over one million caregivers have participated in this two-day, highly interactive, practical, practice-oriented workshop.

Participation in the full two days is required. Enjoy small group discussions and skills practice that are based upon adult learning principles. Experience powerful videos on suicide intervention. Feel challenged and safe. Learn suicide first aid.

ASIST helps prepare caregivers

ASIST is designed to help all caregivers become more willing, ready and able to help persons at risk. Suicide can be prevented with the help of prepared caregivers.

Just as “CPR” skills make physical first aid possible, training in suicide intervention develops the skills used in suicide first aid. ASIST is a two-day intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help caregivers recognize risk and learn how to intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide.

The workshop is for all caregivers (any person in a position of trust). This includes professionals, paraprofessionals and lay people. It is suitable for mental health professionals, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, teachers, counselors, youth workers, police and correctional staff, school support staff, clergy, and community volunteers.

ASIST has five learning sections:

• Preparing: sets the tone, norms, and expectations of the learning experience.
• Connecting: sensitizes participants to their own attitudes towards suicide. Creates an understanding of the impact, which attitudes have on the intervention process.
• Understanding: overviews the intervention needs of a person at risk. It focuses on providing participants with the knowledge and skills to recognize risk and develop safeplans to reduce the risk of suicide.
• Assisting: presents a model for effective suicide intervention. Participants develop their skills through observation and supervised simulation experiences in large and small groups.
• Networking: generates information about resources in the local community. Promotes a commitment by participants to transform local resources into helping networks.

Emphasizing structured small-group discussions and practice; the course uses a 20-page workbook and two award-winning audiovisuals. Participants receive a 152-page Suicide Intervention Handbook and a full color, tear-resistant wallet card featuring intervention, and risk review and safeplan development principles. They serve as living refreshers of the workshop learning.

ASIST is designed to help all caregivers become more ready, willing and able to help persons at risk. Prepared caregivers can help prevent suicide.

Unprepared caregivers tend to deny, avoid, even stigmatize and punish persons at risk. That is what society has traditionally done. All evidence indicates that unprepared caregivers continue this dangerous tradition. Training is required to turn denial, avoidance and stigmatization into vigilance, understanding and help.

Learn suicide first aid

Join over one million caregivers and participate in LivingWorks ASIST workshop. Learn to recognize and estimate risk, and become more effective at helping people at risk. The benefits will live on.

I found the ASIST training to be very well structured, educational, interactive, and a Suicide Prevention Training Program of high quality.  I was affirmed of the skills I came to the training, reinforced my skills, improved my skills, and gave me more tools.The materials provided and given to each of us, are well thought out and easy to navigate independently.

Patti Kravitz SWAP Coordinator Eagle County Schools

I attended the 2-day ASIST Training this year and thought it was spectacular.  I run a counseling center, but I am not myself a counselor, so I went to this program as a lay person who wanted to know what to do in my day-to-day life when I encounter someone who may be thinking about taking his/her own life.  People from all walks of life attended this 2-day training – counselors, community leaders, pastors, EMTs, lay persons.  All of us walked away with knowledge and the self-confidence that we had the tools to intervene if called to do so.

Elizabeth Myers, Samaritan Center

For more information or to sign up email info@speakupreachout.org

Contact Us

The Suicide Prevention Coalition of the Eagle Valley

Monday - Friday 8am-5pm
Phone: 970-748-4410
E-Mail: info@speakupreachout.org