Suicide prevention workshop set in Chinook

The Local Advisory Council for Mental Health in Blaine County will host a two-day course in suicide intervention training Tuesday and Wednesday of next week in the Blaine County Library Conference Room in Chinook.

Jana McPherson-Hauer, the county’s public health nurse, said the workshop is a 15-hour long course that focuses on Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training or ASIST. The course is free and available to people 16 years of age or older, and will go from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m during each of the two days. Lunch will be provided.  

“It’s a class that gives some tools to essentially communicate with a person who is in crisis, meet their safety needs and helps them create a plan that supports safety,” she said in a phone interview Thursday.

An informational sheet provided by McPherson-Hauer says the course will teach participants how personal and societal attitudes affect views on suicide and intervention and it will provide guidance and suicide first aid to a person at risk.

The course will also identify the key elements of an effective suicide safety plan and actions required to implement it, teach appreciation for the value of improving and integrating suicide prevention resources within a community and recognize other important aspects of suicide prevention including self promotion and self care.

McPherson-Hauer said Jackie Fitzgerald from Voices of Hope, the agency that staffs the Montana Suicide crisis line, will provide the training.

McPherson-Hauer said that this year will mark the second year such a course is held in Blaine County. Last August, a similar course was held in Harlem and attracted 14 participants. Organizers scheduled the training for August so it could be done before school starts, to make it easier for teachers and school faculty to attend, McPherson-Hauer said.  

“It’s a pretty intense couple of days where people will hopefully leave with some skills and some tools to better communicate with people who may be in crisis or specifically thinking of suicide,” she said.

People interested in taking part must register by Friday by contacting McPherson-Hauer at 357-2345 or [email protected].

The workshop is being held with funding and cooperation from the Montana Office of Suicide Prevention and Blaine County Health Department.