USI recently got the chance to sit down for a chat with Ailish O’Neill, National Education and Training Manager with the National Office for Suicide Prevention. Ailish oversees the rollout of, among other things, suicide prevention training across the country.
Hi Ailish, we know there are three main types of suicide prevention training that are available. Can you give me a brief overview of the trainings?
When we talk about suicide prevention training what we mean is that we are giving people the knowledge, skills and confidence to engage with a person on the topic of suicide if they are worried and concerned about them. If we are worried that someone may be thinking about suicide the most important thing we can do is ask clearly and directly about suicide. One of the most common myths is people think “if I ask about suicide I will put the idea in someone’s head,” we know that in fact the opposite is true. When we ask clearly about suicide we give people permission to speak openly and honestly about what they are experiencing.
Currently the HSE offers three training programmes, Let’s Talk About Suicide, safeTALK and ASIST. Each training incrementally builds on the next.
Let’s Talk About Suicide (LTAS) is a 60 minute self-directed online training programme that gives people the skills to:
- Recognise the signs that someone may be thinking about suicide.
- Confidently engage with a person and speak openly about suicide.
- Support a person who is thinking about suicide, to get help.
- Practice self-care when supporting a person who is having thoughts of suicide.
safeTALK builds on the knowledge and skills of LTAS. safeTALK is delivered face to face and provides participants with the opportunity to discuss and explore how to:
- To identify people who are at risk of suicide
- Confidently ask them about the topic of suicide
- Connect them with resources that can help them stay safe.
ASIST training can be described as suicide first aid. This two day face to face training facilitates participants to consider how personal attitudes and experiences might affect their role when helping a person in suicidal distress. As above it supports a person
- To identify people who are at risk of suicide
- Confidently ask them about the topic of suicide
- In addition it gives participants the skills to work collaboratively with the person at risk to develop a safety plan to reduce the immediate risk of suicide and increase support for that person.
How can people access these trainings?
The online training, LTAS can be accessed by registering on the NOSP training hub site, linked below. https://traininghub.nosp.ie/
Both safeTALK and ASIST are run throughout the year in every county. The link below provides you with the option to search by county where you can book into any training. https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/connecting-for-life/training/upcoming-training/
Is there a cost to do these trainings?
All suicide prevention training is funded by the HSE and free to access.
Why is it important that people in general do these trainings?
As a country we struggle to talk about suicide yet there are very few individuals, families and communities that have not been touched or lost a loved one to suicide. We all have a role to play in suicide prevention and suicide prevention training provides people with safe and trusted spaces to explore and discuss the topic. People do not need to have a knowledge of mental health and their responsibility will be limited to supporting a person in the immediate rather than in the long-term. When people are thinking about suicide they can send out invitations for help, people may miss, dismiss or avoid these signs. Suicide prevention training helps people to become alert to what these signs may be gives people the skills to respond safely and supportively.
Why would it be important for students to undertake these trainings?
Suicide prevention training gives students the skills, knowledge and confidence to know what to say and do if they are worried a friend or loved one may be thinking about suicide. It takes away the doubt and provides students with detail on supports and services that are available in their college and locality.
What is it important for people to know about the training?
Suicide prevention helps people to understand that we all have a role to play in suicide prevention and gives people the confidence and skills to play that role.
Are there are people that the training might not be suitable for?
If you have been bereaved by suicide we would suggest you wait at least 12 months before engaging with the topic in a training environment.
If someone was thinking about undertaking the training, but wasn’t sure, what would you say to them?
When people complete suicide prevention training they often say, ‘I wish I did it sooner’. People leave the training room with the knowledge and confidence to know it is ok to talk about suicide. That by breaking down the stigma and shame that can surround the word they are opening up safe spaces for people to talk openly and honestly when suicide is something that they may be thinking about.
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