ASIST – Suicide Intervention Training for Responsible Employers

In England and Wales, almost 3 million people have genuine suicidal thoughts every year. With proper training, ordinary people can become caregivers and help prevent suicide.

The Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) workshop provides that facility. It better prepares people to become caregivers capable of negating the immediate risk of suicide.

This two day course is intensive, interactive and has plenty of practical elements. All are tailored towards helping people recognise the risks and to become effective at suicide intervention skills.

Just as ‘CPR‘ skills are a critical component of physical first aid, ASIST develops the skills we use in suicide first aid.

Who should attend this course?

This course is suitable for anyone likely to interact with people at risk of suicide. This includes employers, who need to be aware of the emphasis political leaders and world bodies on self-harm and suicide. It may well come to pass that similar legislation to current mental health directives will come into place for suicidality.

In 2018, the government announced the appointment of the first ever Suicide Prevention Minister. Tasked with implementing the recommendations from previous studies into suicide in the UK, Jackie Doyle-Price will oversee the Suicide prevention: cross-government plan.

Course overview and content

Delegates on the course will be set into small structured groups. In these groups, they’ll discuss the course content and practice individual course components.

To help put the lessons into context, Kaleidoscope+ provide a workbook and audio visuals. These media help support learning in a safe, comfortable and confidential environment.

All delegates receive a ‘Suicide Intervention’ Handbook and a full colour wallet card featuring the intervention model to take away.

Course content

Since its development in 1983, ASIST has received regular updates to reflect improvements in knowledge and practice, and over 1,000,000 people have taken the workshop.
Studies show that the ASIST method helps reduce suicidal feelings in those at risk and is a cost-effective way to help address the problem of suicide. ~ LivingWorks Education

To that end, ASIST delegates will learn the five key learning components:

• Prep:
  • sets the tone and establishes the norms and expectations of the learning experience;
• Connection:
  • sensitises delegates to their own attitudes towards suicide;
  • creates an understanding of the impact, which attitudes have on the intervention process;
• Comprehension:
  • overview of the intervention needs of a person at risk;
  • and focus on providing the knowledge and skills to recognise risk and respond to the ‘right here, right now’ risk of suicide;
• Assistance:
  • presents a model for effective suicide intervention;
  • skill development through observation and supervised simulation experiences in large and small groups
• Networking:
  • to generate information about resources in the local community.

For more detailed information, you can download the Kaleidoscope+ overview of the ASIST course.

Dates: currently demand-driven; please check for next scheduled courses: call 0121 601 4041 or email info@mohs.co.uk

This course is delivered in partnership with Kaleidoscope Commercials, part of the Kaleidoscope+ Group