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WHY ASIST?

Many people who are feeling suicidal signal their intent, whether it be verbally or through behavioural change. Therefore, the more people who feel confident and willing to explore possible signs of suicide risk and provide support and help, the more lives could be saved.

Often people do not want to intervene for fear of making someone’s situation worse. They are afraid to say the wrong thing or the stigma attached to suicide means they avoid, ignore or do not recognise the signs of suicidal thoughts. We need to lift the taboo and talk about suicide as a serious community issue then reach out as widely as possible to get people involved in suicide prevention. This is where training forms a vital role.

Awareness needs to be raised within all sections of the community and as broad a range of people possible given the necessary skills and confidence to reach out to someone who needs help. Suicide can affect any one of us and it is our responsibility to find ways to make suicide-safer communities.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is intended as 'suicide first-aid' training. ASIST takes a population based approach to suicide reduction and aims to enable helpers (personal or professional) to become more willing, ready and able to recognise and intervene effectively to help persons at risk of suicide. With over 900,000 people trained in suicide intervention skills, ASIST is by far the most widely used suicide intervention skills training in the world.



   WHATS INVOLVED?

ASIST is a 2 day course which encourages  active engagement. Flexible teaching styles, simulation exercises, learning aids and audiovisual materials encourage a high level of participation. Two highly acclaimed award winning videos are used exclusively in the course.

Each ASIST training Course requires two registered trainers.  Much of the learning occurs in 2  work groups. This format encourages the development of participation, trust, acceptance and mutual support. It breaks down barriers, focuses attention and heightens learning.

Full attendance during both days of the workshop is essential.  On completion of the course participants will receive:

• Certificate of attendance
• Training workbook & related materials
• Suicide Intervention Manual
• Information on local/national resources

The goals of the training are to enable participants to:

• Recognise that caregivers/healthcare workers and persons at risk are affected by personal and societal attitudes about suicide
• Discuss suicide with a person at risk in a direct manner
• Identify risk alerts and develop a safeplan related to them
• Demonstrate the skills required to intervene with a person at risk of suicide
• List the types of resources available to a person at risk of suicide, including themselves
• Make a commitment to improving community resources; and
• Recognise that suicide prevention is broader than suicide first aid and includes life promotion and self-care for caregivers/healthcare workers.

ABOUT OUR TRAINERS...

   Gez Evans is PTELLS qualified, Degree Level3 Certificate in First Line Management, Apprenticeship in Management and has over 20 years training experience within the hospitaility and private sectors.

Gez is a freelance consultant and trainer, based in Kent, England
 

    Heidi Bennett is based in Bridgend, South Wales.  She has an MBA and is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.  As Director of a County Voluntary Council, she has a leading role in third sector development.  She is a qualified trainer and has over 10 years experience of training and consultancy work within the voluntary and community sector.

Both Heidi and Gez are registered with LivingWorks Canada and Mind Cymru. They are currently delivering Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) throughout Wales  as part of the Welsh Assembly Government's ‘Let’s Talk’ National Action Plan to Reduce Suicide and Self Harm in Wales'.

They are also delivering ASIST as a key strand of the BIG Lottery funded Positive Choices and Siaradwn Ni projects.  The former being Wales-wide and the latter specifically supporting the ‘Improving Future’s’ suicide reduction strategy for  Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot counties.