Friends for life - ASIST Workshops

ASIST

Learn first aid skills

Do you want to feel ready, willing and able 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, teachers, counselors, youth workers, police and correctional staff, school support staff, clergy, and community volunteers. Mixed groups are strongly recommended since the workshop also facilitates collaboration among participants.

ASIST has five learning modules:

1. Introduction - sets the tone, norms and expectations of the learning experience.
2. Attitudes - sensitizes participants to their own attitudes towards suicide. Creates an understanding of the impact which attitudes have on the intervention process.
3. Knowledge - provides participants with the knowledge and skill to recognize and estimate the risk of suicide.
4. Intervention - presents a model for effective suicide intervention. Participants develop their skills through observation, supervised simulation experiences and role playing.
5. Resourcing/Networking - generates information about resources in the local community. Promotes a commitment by participants to transform local resources into helping networks.

Interested in organizing a workshop?

Do you want to help helpers in your community to feel ready, willing and able to prevent the immediate risk of suicide? Nothing could be more helpful than sponsoring and organizing an ASIST workshop.

ASIST is a two-day intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help caregivers recognize and estimate risk, and intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. It is by far the most widely used, acclaimed and researched suicide intervention training workshop in the world.

There is a comprehensive Organizer's Guide. LivingWorks or a certified ASIST Trainer can provide you with a copy. Following is an overview of some of the things you might want to know.

ASIST has been refined over 15 years with feedback from over 200,000 participants and over 800 active trainers. Certain specifications have proven to be essential. The workshop must be conducted in two consecutive days (seven working hours per day). It must be conducted by at least two certified trainers. Each workshop can accommodate from seven to 15 participants per trainer, although 10 to 12 participants per trainer is a better range. More than 45 participants are best split into separate workshops. Smaller workshops (seven to 15 participants) are possible but represent a less economical use of resources since two trainers must still be present.

Organizers play a big part in the overall success of each ASIST. At least 14 participants are necessary to hold an ASIST workshop. There are fairly strict room and equipment requirements. One large group room and at least one small group room are needed for a 14 to 30 ASIST. It is almost essential that the noon meal be provided on site. Refreshments and other "creature comfort" considerations can add that final touch of excellence. Organizers typically introduce trainers and provide information on local resources should there be participants who are at risk. Organizers often collect participant fees and oversee financial matters.

The cost per participant includes the cost of materials from Living Works: a workshop workbook, a 110 page Suicide Intervention Handbook, a full colour laminated pocket card on intervention and risk estimation principles, and a certificate of participation.

Other costs that organizers are responsible for include accommodation (if necessary) and meals for two trainers, travel costs, group lunches and snacks on site, as well as the cost of the site. Depending on the organization, organizers may pass some or all of these costs on to participants. The "real" costs are estimated to be about $300 Cdn. per participant. If sponsors help to reduce costs they should be acknowledged in the advertising.

You will be pleased with the result and the part you play in creating it.
Contact The Canadian Mental Health Association
(Saskatchewan Division) Inc.

Dianne Boy Fernandez
Director of Friends for Life and Training
2702 12th Ave.
Regina, SK
S4T 1J2

Phone 306 525-5601, toll free 1-800-461-5483
Fax 306 569-3788
e-mail friends@cmhask.com
on the Web at www.cmhask.com