Eagle County schools, Speak Up Reach Out hosting suicide awareness, prevention seminars
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What: Signs of Suicide: SOS Suicide Prevention Program, present by Eagle County Schools.
When and where: English sessions are at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at Eagle Valley High School; and Monday, March 12, at Berry Creek Middle School. Spanish Sessions are at 6 p.m. Monday, March 19, at Gypsum Creek Middle School; and Monday, March 26, at Battle Mountain High School.
What: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST.
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 12, and Friday, April 13.
Where: Colorado Mountain College, Edwards.
Cost: All training sessions are free.
More information: Visit http://www.eagleschools.net or speakupreachout.org.
EAGLE — A series of suicide awareness seminars is the centerpiece of this month’s Parent Night meetings, presented by Eagle County Schools.
SOS, or Signs of Suicide prevention program, is being taught in local schools. These Parents Night sessions will help familiarize people with the suicide prevention program and how to identify the signs and symptoms of suicide in themselves and others. The program also teaches peer-to-peer action, ACT:
• Acknowledge that there may be in issue.
• Care, and let your friend know that you do.
• Tell a trusted adult.
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“The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions — difficult for students and their parents,” district officials wrote in announcing the program. “It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil. Parent training is an integral part of the SOS program.”
The program is designed to teach adults how to navigate conversations about depression and suicide, raise awareness and help find ways to seek help, if necessary.
Assist with ASIST
Speak Up, Reach Out, a Vail Valley suicide prevention group, and Eagle County Public Health and Environment also regularly host Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST.
ASIST teaches participants how to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and how to work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. It’s widely used by health-care providers, but participants don’t need any formal training to attend the workshop.
ASIST participants will learn to:
• Understand the ways that personal and societal attitudes affect views on suicide and interventions.
• Provide guidance and suicide first aid to a person at risk in ways that meet their individual safety needs.
• Identify the key elements of an effective suicide safety plan and the actions required to implement it.
• Appreciate the value of improving and integrating suicide prevention resources in the community at large.
• Recognize other important aspects of suicide prevention.
