Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training in Virginia Beach

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day workshop with a standardized curriculum designed to develop “suicide first aid” skills. It teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide, to discuss suicide in a direct manner with that person, and how to intervene and work with the person to create a plan that supports their immediate safety. The training is based on a person-centered prevention model: Rather than guiding people-at-risk through a predetermined pathway to safety, the model supports the person in developing their own safety plan using personal and community resources. The training courses are available to anyone over the age of 16 concerned with the immediate safety of people at risk of suicide; no prior experience or education is required.

ASIST has five components through which trainees gradually build an understanding of suicide risk and suicide intervention:

• understand attitudes about suicide
• provide guidance and suicide first aid to a person at risk
• identify the key elements of an effective suicide safety plan and the actions required to implement it
• appreciate the value of improving community suicide prevention resources
• recognize important aspects of suicide prevention, including life-promotion and self-care