Serving Delawareans for over 75 years!

The Delaware Suicide Prevention Coalition’s (DSPC) Project LIFE (Living is for Everyone) is a comprehensive, statewide suicide prevention initiative targeting youth ages 10–24. By creating new programming and leveraging existing resources, the DSPC aims to reduce negative behaviors and enhance resiliency in youth most at-risk for suicide. Project LIFE takes a public health and community-based approach to suicide prevention by identifying the broader patterns of suicidal behavior through groups and populations. Following the Guiding Principles of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, DSPC is designed to be a catalyst for social change, with the power to transform attitudes, policies and services. The goals of Project LIFE are to prevent suicidal behaviors by enhancing resiliency, reduce the impact of suicide and suicidal behaviors on individuals, families and communities, and improve access to and availability of prevention services for vulnerable, high-risk individuals. Literature suggests using a system-wide community approach in recognizing and referring youth to an appropriate service has been shown to markedly reduce rates of suicide. The DSPC has mobilized over thirty state and community-based agencies to develop multiple strategies to prevent youth suicide.

ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is a two-day training for caregivers who want to feel more comfortable, confident and competent in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. Over one million caregivers have participated in this evidence based two-day, highly interactive, practical, practice-oriented workshop. ASIST is the most researched suicide prevention skills training world-wide.

The Workshop

ASIST provides practical training for caregivers seeking to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. Participants often include:

• people concerned about family & friends
• natural helpers and advisers
• emergency service workers
• counselors, teachers and clergy members
• mental health practitioners
• workers in health, welfare or justice

The Outcome

The emphasis of the ASIST workshop is on suicide first aid, on helping a person at risk stay safe and seek further help. Attendance at the full two days is essential. Learn how to:

• recognize invitations for help
• reach out and offer support
• review the risk of suicide
• apply a suicide intervention model
• link people with community resources

Evaluations have shown that the ASIST workshop increases caregivers’ knowledge and confidence to respond to a person at risk of suicide, that intervention skills are retained over time and that they are put to use to save lives.

If a two-day training conflicts with your schedule, Project LIFE Gatekeeper Trainers can provide a safeTALK training or custom awareness workshop or training.

safeTALK: a 3 hour training that prepares anyone over the age of 15 to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources. As a safeTALK-trained suicide alert helper, you will be better able to:

• move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss or avoid suicide;
• identify people who have thoughts of suicide;
• apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep Safe) to connect a person with suicide thoughts to suicide first aid, intervention caregivers.

Why should I come to safeTALK?

In only a few hours, you will learn how to provide practical help to persons with thoughts of suicide. Expect to leave safeTALK more willing and able to perform an important helping role for persons with thoughts of suicide.

Why is safeTALK for everyone?

Most persons with thoughts of suicide go unrecognized—even though most all are, directly or indirectly, requesting help. Without safeTALK training, these invitations to help are too rarely accepted, or even noticed. With more suicide alert helpers, more people with thoughts of suicide will get connected to the intervention help they want. Suicide alert helpers are part of a suicide-safer community.