Recognising the Signs of Suicide- Participants Sought for Suicide Intervention Training Course
Monday, 28th June 2010: Are you concerned about the levels of suicide in your community? Do you know what steps to take if you came across someone at risk of suicide?
Participants from across Leitrim and surrounding areas are being sought for an ‘ASIST’ (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) course which takes place this July. Run by HeadsUp, Rehab’s suicide prevention project, this suicide prevention course is specifically designed to equip members of the public with the information and confidence they need to identify the signs of suicide and to take appropriate action until a more permanent plan can be put in place.
The two-day course, which is free to all participants, will take place in The Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, on Monday, 26th July and Tuesday, 27th July 2010. The course runs from 9am to 5pm on both days.
According to Collette Ryan, HeadsUp Project Manager, the ASIST course is targeted towards everyone. “Suicide is an issue that affects every community in Ireland. It is often the case that those of us outside the medical profession are the first to recognise that someone is at risk of suicide. This course will give members of the community the skills to effectively deal with these situations. We’d encourage community workers, HR staff, teachers, members of An Garda Síochána, sports coaches, taxi drivers, in fact anyone who is linked with the local community, to attend this free course.”
The ‘ASIST’ course was originally developed by Living Works in Canada and currently forms a strand of most national suicide prevention strategies worldwide. In Ireland, the course is coordinated by the National Office for Suicide Prevention.
Places on the ASIST course are limited. For further information and to register your place on the course, please contact Collette Ryan, HeadsUp Project Manager on (086) 838 0218.
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Further Information Contact:
Dara Duffy, Rehab, Tel: (01) 205 7268, Email: dara.duffy@www.rehab.ie