SafeTALK: Suicide Prevention Training

safeTALK is a half-day suicide alertness training that prepares anyone over the age of 15, regardless of prior experience or training, to become a suicide-alert helper. Most people with thoughts of suicide don’t truly want to die but are struggling with the pain in their lives. Through their words and actions, they invite help to stay alive. safeTALK-trained helpers can recognize these invitations and act by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources, such as caregivers trained in ASIST.

Learning goals and objectives

Over the course of their training, safeTALK participants will learn to:

• Notice and respond to situations where suicide thoughts might be present
• Recognize that invitations for help are often overlooked
• Move beyond the common tendency to miss, dismiss, and avoid suicide
• Apply the TALK steps: Tell, Ask, Listen, and KeepSafe
• Know community resources and how to connect someone with thoughts of suicide to them for further help.

"Thank you for coming to Waldron for the Safe Talk presentation.  This PD changed the way our staff approached and dealt with at-risk students.  I had many comments throughout the rest of the year that confirmed the value that you brought to our students, staff, and community!" -  Jack Ledford, K-12 Principal, Waldron Area Schools