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SafeTALK: Suicide Alertness for everyone

OFFERED FOR FREE BY THE WINDSOR-ESSEX FIRST RESPONDER COALITION, FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF FIRST RESPONDERS.

Registration is required. To register, email: [email protected]

safeTALK is a half-day training in suicide alertness. It helps participants recognize a person
with thoughts of suicide and connect them with resources who can help them in choosing
to live. Participants don’t need any formal preparation to attend the training—anyone
age 15 or older who wants to make a difference can learn the safeTALK steps.

 

How safeTALK works
Most people with thoughts of suicide don’t want
to die—instead, they are looking for a way to work
through the pain in their lives. Through their words
and actions, they usually invite others to help them in
making a choice for life. safeTALK teaches participants
to recognize these invitations, engage with the person
with thoughts of suicide, and connect them with
resources to help them be safer from suicide. These
resources could include health care professionals, first
responders, or crisis line workers—among many others
who have suicide intervention training.

Training process
safeTALK features both presentations and interactive
elements. Trainers will facilitate participants’
involvement through:
• Trainer presentations
• Diverse selection of audiovisuals
• Interactive discussion and questions
• TALK steps practice
• TALK wallet card
• “You can TALK to Me” stickers
• Downloadable TALK App

Goals and objectives
safeTALK helps participants become alert to suicide.
Suicide-alert people are better prepared to connect
persons with thoughts of suicide with life-affirming help.
Over the course of their training, safeTALK participants
will learn to:
• Notice and respond to situations where suicide
thoughts may be present,
• Recognize that invitations for help are often
overlooked,
• Move beyond the common tendency to miss,
dismiss, and avoid suicide,
• Apply the TALK steps: Tell, Ask, Listen, KeepSafe, and
• Know community resources and how to connect
someone with thoughts of suicide to them for
further suicide-safer help.

FOCUS: Suicide alertness training for the community
DURATION: 3 hours–4 hours (half a day)
LANGUAGES: English and French
PARTICIPANTS: Anyone 15 or older
TRAINERS: One trainer and one community resource
person per 15–30 participants

Who should take safeTALK?
safeTALK is designed for anyone age 15 or older,
including many in more formal helping roles. The steps
learned in safeTALK have helped participants from
all walks of life be alert to situations where suicide
thoughts may be present.

Who provides safeTALK?
safeTALK is a training developed by LivingWorks
Education, a leading world provider of suicide
intervention training. Each safeTALK is facilitated
by a trainer who has completed the two-day
safeTALK Training for Trainers (T4T) course. Trainers
use internationally standardized learning materials,
including a diverse selection of paired alert and nonalert
vignettes.
A listing of registered trainers can be found at
www.livingworks.net under Find a Trainer. In order
to maintain registered status, trainers must deliver
the workshop at least three times a year and submit
quality control reports to LivingWorks.

safeTALK and ASIST

safeTALK is designed to complement ASIST (Applied
Suicide Intervention Skills Training), LivingWorks’ twoday
suicide intervention skills workshop. safeTALK is
consistent with LivingWorks’ view that the training
needs of a suicide-safer community require a
comprehensive approach. Both safeTALK and ASIST
participants have an important role to play in helping to
achieve this goal.
safeTALK training focuses on using the TALK steps—
Tell, Ask, Listen, KeepSafe—to engage persons with
thoughts of suicide and help to connect them with lifeaffirming
resources, while using ASIST skills helps these
resources provide safety from suicide for now. In effect,
safeTALK and ASIST-trained helpers work together with
individuals to help them keep safe from suicide.
ASIST’s intervention model involves establishing a
collaborative relationship to work through suicide to
a place of safety. Many training participants include
safeTALK and ASIST in their suicide prevention toolkit.

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