Overview
Content warning:
Information covered in LIVINGWORKS ASIST relates to the topic of suicide and may be sensitive for some participants.
LIVINGWORKS Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first-aid that teaches participants how to provide a skilled intervention for a person experiencing thoughts of suicide and create a safety plan.
ASIST aims to increase participant skills and confidence to intervene and recognise the signs of when someone may be at risk of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. The training includes trainer presentations, small-group learning, high quality audio-visual aids and practice scenarios, a training focus - by building on participant experiences to contribute to the overall learning goal of providing suicide first-aid, activities based on the ASIST intervention model and hands-on skill practice, emphasis on individual needs where participants learn to adapt to specific circumstances of a person at risk and work to help them stay safe, direct and honest discussions about suicide is encouraged - ASIST helps prepare participants to discuss suicide with a person at risk, and adaptable components that can be tailored to meet participants' professional or cultural needs.
The learning process includes:
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Preparing: Sets the tone, norms, and expectations of the learning experience.
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Connecting: Sensitizes participants to their own attitudes towards suicide. Creates an understanding of the impact that attitudes can have on the intervention process.
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Understanding: Overviews the intervention needs of a person at risk. It focuses on providing participants with the knowledge and skills to recognize risk and develop safe plans to reduce the risk of suicide.
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Assisting: Presents a model for effective suicide intervention. Participants develop their skills through observation and supervised simulation experiences in large and small groups.
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Networking: Generates information about resources in the local community. Promotes a commitment by participants to transform local resources into helping networks.
Level of Learning
Foundational. This activity is targeted to those new to the topic.
Target audience
Psychologists, Psychology students, General Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals, Human Resource Professionals, Academic Educators and Researchers.
APS CPD-Approved
This activity has been assessed against the APS Standards for CPD activities and approved for its education quality. Learn more about the APS CPD Approval process.