ASIST - Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

(Learn First-Aid Intervention Skills)

Do you want to feel ready, willing and able to prevent the immediate risk of suicide?  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 [compulsory attendance] interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help caregivers recognise and estimate risk and learn how to intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide.

The workshop is for all who are in a position of trust: managers, employees, health professionals, teachers, counsellors, youth workers, police, prison staff, clergy and community volunteers.

ASIST has five learning modules:

1.      Introduction - sets the tone, norms and expectations of the learning experience.

2.      Attitudes - sensitises 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 skills to recognise 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

Participants each receive a pack which includes a workbook for course participation, a pocket card featuring intervention and risk estimation principles and on completion of the workshop, a suicide intervention handbook and attendance certificate.

Beth Gibb is a ‘Master' Trainer having facilitated a specified number of workshops