The Zero Suicide Alliance

Suicide Awareness Training – Full Version

Through this 20-minute suicide awareness training you will gain the skills and confidence to help someone who may be considering suicide. Anyone can learn how to have a potentially life-saving conversation. You will learn how to spot suicide warning signs, how to have a conversation with someone you’re worried about, where to signpost to for further support, and that suicide is preventable. You will get a certificate when you have completed the training. 

The interactive training course includes three conversation examples: with a co-worker, a family member, and a stranger. Jonny Benjamin, MBE also speaks about the day when a stranger saved his life and how it felt to have that conversation.

Zero Suicide Alliance website.

Suicide Awareness Training – Gateway Module:

A brief but vital introduction to suicide awareness. In this shortened (5 to 10 minutes) version of our full suicide awareness training, you will learn how to approach and help someone who you think may be considering taking their own life. Through the training, you will learn: See - How to spot suicide warning signs, Say - How to have a conversation with someone you’re worried about, Signpost - Where to direct someone for further support.

Social Isolation Training – Step Up Module:

A brief introduction to social isolation. In 5 to 10 minutes, you will learn how social isolation affects our mental health and how to step up and help someone who feels isolated. Although the training was developed to support people during the Covid-19 pandemic, the learning from this training course can be used to support anyone who is socially isolated.

Suicide Awareness Training – University Student Edition

This edition of the suicide awareness training has been developed specifically for university students and includes information and scenarios that are related to experiences at university. The training has been created for university students, their family, and friends. Through the training you’ll learn the skills to better understand suicidal behaviours so you can feel confident to: See the signs, Say the words and Signpost to support.

The training aims to equip you with the skills and confidence you need to have a potentially lifesaving conversation. The training takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and you will get a certificate on completion.  

Suicide Awareness Training – Veteran Edition:

Developed with Help for Heroes, the aim of this training is to provide you with practice in handling difficult situations where a person may be at risk of suicide. The 30 minutes online, interactive training course includes three conversation examples: with a loved one, a colleague and a stranger.

Three video stories are also shared. Two from bereaved friends, and one from a former Army Officer, who talks about his mental health struggles and how a letter from his friends stopped him taking his own life.

The training has been developed for veterans, their family members and friends but can be taken by anyone aged 16 and over. It includes facts about suicide, how to spot signs that someone may be considering suicide, how to have a conversation with someone you’re worried about and where to signpost to for help and support.

Grassroots

Grassroots (Suicide Prevention Charity) Real Talk – Interactive Film:

Real Talk About Suicide is an interactive film which helps guide the viewer, as they make choices to support someone with suicidal thoughts and behaviours. The film presents an unfolding conversation between two flatmates, Chris, and Jason. The viewer is prompted to answer multiple-choice questions about the next steps Jason might take to help his friend. 

Guidance is offered, and key principles explained, with the aim of increasing the skills and confidence of the viewer in responding to people at risk of suicide, and to provide links to further sources of support. You may find aspects of the video challenging to watch and potentially upsetting, particularly if you have been personally affected by suicide. It is important to let you know so you can make an informed decision about whether to watch the film at this time. It may also be helpful to watch the video with someone you can talk to about the issues raised.

People experience suicidal thoughts for their own individual reasons, and the context of these situations will vary greatly. The Chris and Jason video presents one possible scenario. The hope is that it shows a useful, basic approach for helping someone have an open conversation about suicide and connecting them with further support. The film was developed by Grassroots Suicide Prevention in partnership with Director Martin Percy, Unit9, and Public Health at East Sussex County Council.

MindEd Suicide and Self-harm Prevention, Skills for Adults

MindEd Suicide and Self-harm Prevention, Skills for Adults - Postvention Support For Staff and Organisational Response. In this session, you will get an understanding of the impact of bereavement by suicide on the family, colleagues, and friends by following the story of Susan and Danny.

You must view the 'How to Guide' before you can proceed to open any of the other sections. To access the different points on the map, select the circle to open the popup and then select view. (If using a mobile select view to launch).
 

SP-OT Suicide Prevention – Overview Tutorial. PAPYRUS

Tutorial (face to face and online), What EVERYONE needs to know.

The key objectives are:

• To understand the prevalence and impact of suicide
• To explore the language, and the challenges, when talking openly about suicide
• To recognise the ‘signs’ that may indicate someone is having thoughts of suicide
• To consider how we can all contribute to a suicide safer community.

Delivery Time: 90 minutes, Individual Cost: £25, Group Cost: £300 (minimum 8, max 30 participants)

SP-EAK Suicide Prevention – Explore, Ask, Keep-Safe. PAPYRUS

An introduction to Suicide Prevention skills. Training (face-to-face and online)

The key objectives are:

• To consider the attitudes, myths and stigma that surround suicide
• To recognise and explore the ‘signs’ that may indicate someone is having thoughts of suicide
• To encourage an open, safe, and sensitive conversation about suicide with a person having thoughts of suicide
• To support a safety plan with someone thinking of suicide.

Delivery Time: 3.5 hours, Individual Cost: £55, Group Cost: £550 (minimum 8, max 30 participants)

SafeTALK: Suicide Alertness for Everyone – Grassroots

SafeTALK is a half day, face to face (3.5 hour) suicide prevention training course that can help you make a difference. Know what to do if someone’s suicidal by following the easy to remember TALK steps – Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep-safe. These practical steps offer immediate help to someone having thoughts of suicide and helps you both move forward to connect with more specialised support.

SafeTALK is suitable for all community members and professionals. The course aims are to:

• Identify people thinking of suicide.
• Overcome barriers in talking about suicide.
• Identify reasons we may miss, dismiss, or avoid suicide.
• Practice using the 4-step model of suicide alertness.
• Connect people at risk of suicide with further appropriate help.

The safeTALK course was developed by LivingWorks in Canada and is delivered worldwide. It complements the more comprehensive 2 day ASIST course by conveniently widening the net of suicide alert helpers to ensure that thoughts of suicide aren’t missed, dismissed or avoided.
 

Managing Suicidal Conversations – Samaritans

Managing Suicidal Conversations will equip participants with the skills and confidence to manage a conversation with someone who is having thoughts of suicide or showing signs of suicidal behaviour.

This course will help participants to:

• Appreciate the profile of suicide in the UK and ROI
• Understand the background factors and feelings that can lead to suicidal thoughts.
• Recognise direct and indirect signs of suicidal ideation
• Develop skills to manage a suicidal conversation sensitively and effectively.
• Explore strategies to assess and respond to risk
• Know how and where to signpost to sources of additional support.

Suicide First Aid – Grassroots

Suicide First Aid Virtual is a one-day training programme for up to 16 participants. The course is accredited by City & Guilds, making it the route to the UK’s only national qualification in Suicide Prevention. The programme is evidence-based, interactive, and covers both theory and practical skills. Participants learn and practice the skills needed to identify someone who may be thinking about suicide, and to competently intervene to help create a safe plan, as a first aid approach.

Course content:

• The impact and value of personal and professional experience with suicide
• Barriers that prevent people at risk seeking help
• Prevalence of suicide thoughts and suicide behaviours
• The Signs of Suicide and the Suicide-Safety Guide
• Partnership working and community resources

Learning outcomes:

• Suicide behaviour; reasons and magnitude of the community health problem.
• Role of the carer in managing suicide interventions; different roles with different people
• Understand approaches and process of suicide intervention including desired outcomes
• Understand the importance of self-reflection and personal impact when working with suicide and people at risk

Who should attend? Multi-sector practitioners including health, housing, social care, education, criminal justice, call centre operators, private, voluntary, and public sector workers, and community members.

Responding to Suicide (RTS): Emergency Services Training - Suicide Bereavement UK

First responders and investigators are often exposed to suicide as well as bereaved families at the scene during their careers. Many, report feeling anxious and uncertain how to respond to those bereaved by suicide, due to lack of training. Responding to these incidents can have a direct impact on the mental health and well-being of these personnel.

Responding To Suicide (RTS) training is evidence and practice-based and informed by the lived-experience of both emergency service personnel and those bereaved by suicide. It provides guidance for staff on how to respond to suicide more effectively, which can be applied in a practical sense. The training has been designed by a team with a wealth of experience in the emergency services, suicide postvention (care of those bereaved by suicide), and prevention. Several authors have received awards for their work in postvention.

This one-day interactive programme is delivered by facilitators with combined experience in:

• investigating and responding to suicide and working with bereaved families
• working in the field of suicide prevention and postvention (care of those bereaved by suicide)

Aims of the training:

• to offer emergency services personnel an opportunity to build knowledge, confidence and skills in responding to and better supporting those bereaved or affected by suicide
• to understand and take steps to address the personal impact that traumatic events can have on emergency personnel

Objectives of the training:

• to improve staff knowledge and understanding when responding to those bereaved or affected by suicide
• to outline a person-centred practical response to suicide
• to explore the effects of exposure to traumatic events
• to develop a personal plan to reduce the effects of exposure to incidents of suicide

To analyse current responses to suicide and consider how to improve support to those bereaved or affected.

Who is RTS training for?

RTS training is aimed at operational emergency services personnel including ambulance, police, fire, civilian investigators, Air Ambulance, RNLI, Coastguard and MOD Police. We ONLY deliver this course in-house upon request for up to 20 individuals. To register or enquire about RTS in-house training please contact: Paul Higham

Email: paul.higham@suicidebereavementuk.com
Mob: 07850 710555
Tel: 01706 827 359

Mental Health First Aider – MHFA England

This online course trains you as a Mental Health First Aider, giving you:

• an in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
• practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
• confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
• enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
• knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support - whether that’s self-help resources, through their employer, the NHS, or a mix

Become a Mental Health First Aider · MHFA England

ASIST Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

A face-to-face skill building workshop that prepares caregivers to provide suicide first aid interventions.

The key objectives for you to learn are:

• to consider personal and societal attitudes to suicide
• to learn the most widely used suicide prevention model in the world
• to recognise, and act on, the signs that someone is having thoughts of suicide
• to seek a shared understanding of the reasons for thoughts of suicide and identify reasons for living
• to review current risk and develop a joint plan to keep someone safe from suicide, signposting for further help and community resources as needed

PAPYRUS: Individual Cost: £180, Group Cost: £5000 (minimum 16, max 30 participants) £4500 if the organiser provides the venue.

Disclaimer

The Council does not endorse or sponsor any commercial product, service, or activity.

Reference to any specific product, service, process, or method by trade name or trademark mentioned in this session does not constitute an implied endorsement or favouring.

This page contains links to other public or private organizations. Worcestershire County Council does not guarantee the accuracy of information on other organisations’ sites.

Free training resources:

Zero Suicide Alliance

Zero Suicide Alliance training hub

These ZSA training courses teach you the skills and confidence to have a potentially life-saving conversation with someone you’re worried about.

• 20 minute suicide awareness training
• Social isolation awareness training
• University student suicide awareness training
• Free online suicide awareness training from Help for Heroes and Zero Suicide Alliance

Grassroots

Real Talk About Suicide is an interactive film which helps guide the viewer, as they make choices to support someone with suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

The film presents an unfolding conversation between two flatmates, Chris and Jason. The viewer is prompted to answer multiple-choice questions about the next steps Jason might take to help his friend.

Guidance is offered, and key principles explained, with the aim of increasing the skills and confidence of the viewer in responding to people at risk of suicide, and to provide links to further sources of support.

• The Real Talk Interactive Film - Grassroots Suicide Prevention

Training by organisations :

Papyrus 

SP-OT (Suicide Prevention – Overview Tutorial). What everyone needs to know.

The key objectives are:

• to understand the prevalence and impact of suicide
• to explore the language, and the challenges, when talking openly about suicide
• to recognise the ‘signs’ that may indicate someone is having thoughts of suicide
• to consider how we can all contribute to a suicide safer community

Delivery Time: 90 minutes, Individual Cost: £25, Group Cost: £250 (minimum 8, max 30 participants)

SP-EAK (Suicide Prevention – Explore, Ask, Keep-Safe). An introduction to Suicide Prevention skills

The key objectives are:

• to consider the attitudes, myths and stigma that surround suicide
• to recognise and explore the ‘signs’ that may indicate someone is having thoughts of suicide
• to encourage an open, safe and sensitive conversation about suicide with a person having thoughts of suicide
• to support a safety plan with someone thinking of suicide

Delivery Time: 3.5 hours, Individual Cost: £55, Group Cost: £450 (minimum 8, max 30 participants)

ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) (2 days): A skills building workshop that prepares caregivers to provide suicide first aid interventions.

The key objectives are:

• to consider personal and societal attitudes to suicide
• to learn the most widely used suicide prevention model in the world
• to recognise, and act on, the signs that someone is having thoughts of suicide
• to seek a shared understanding of the reasons for thoughts of suicide and identify reasons for living
• to review current risk and develop a joint plan to keep someone safe from suicide, signposting for further help and community resources as needed

Delivery Time: 2 days, Individual Cost: £165, Group Cost: £5000 (minimum 16, max 30 participants) £4500 if the organiser provides the venue.