safeTALK is a half-day suicide alertness training course that prepares anyone in the workplace, regardless of prior experience or training,
to become a suicide-alert helper.
Course Context
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 recognise these invitations and take action by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources, such as caregivers trained in ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training).
The safeTALK course has been developed over the past 30 years by LivingWorks and is delivered by a LivingWorks registered trainer.
- Duration: 3.5 to 4 hours
- Capacity: 30 delegates max.
- Availability: Can be delivered throughout the UK by our countrywide network of trainers
Who Is It For?
safeTALK is an excellent tool for anyone in the workplace who wants to become alert to the dangers of suicide, including staff who support colleagues as part of their role, or who link with customers/clients either on the telephone or face-to-face.
Key Benefits
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 KeepSafe) to connect a person thinking about suicide to a suicide intervention resource
Course Content
What can I expect at a workshop?
safeTALK is a powerful experience. You can expect to feel challenged, empowered, and hopeful. The trainer will demonstrate the importance of suicide alertness and help you identify ways people invite help when they’re at risk.
safeTALK’s steps provide a simple, yet effective method to engage with people at risk and connect them with resources that can carry out a full-scale intervention. At the end of the workshop, you’ll have a chance to practise these skills first-hand.
All in all, you can expect to leave safeTALK with practical knowledge of how to identify someone at risk and link them to life-saving resources.
Each participant will receive a Certificate, wallet sized reference card, “Talk to me” stickers and resource pack, plus information about sources of support.
The half-day workshop includes:
- Presentations and guidance from a LivingWorks registered trainer
- How to identify people thinking of suicide
- Overcoming barriers in talking about suicide
- Practise using the 4-step model of suicide alertness (TALK steps)
- Connecting people at risk of suicide with further appropriate help
How does SafeTALK integrate with the 2-day ASIST course?
Although safeTALK and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) are separate programmes, they are designed to complement each other. The 2-day ASIST workshop provides skills to intervene with someone at risk, working with them to help them feel less overwhelmed and suicidal. Perhaps most importantly, the ASIST model also involves creating a safety plan to avoid the danger of suicide in the future.
It would not be possible to learn and practise all of the ASIST skills in safeTALK’s half-day timeframe, although many who attend safeTALK later decide to take ASIST.
What safeTALK does do is help participants identify people who are at risk; confidently ask them about the topic of suicide, and connect them with resources that can help them stay safe – this might be a professional caregiver or someone trained in ASIST. By providing a connection to intervention resources, safeTALK offers an important avenue to assistance when people need it most.
Click here for details of ASIST
Many organisations use both safeTALK and ASIST to create a larger, more effective network of suicide intervention resources. The result is that those at risk of suicide are more likely to have their invitations for help recognised – and more likely to get the help they need in staying safe.
A testimonial for the SafeTALK Suicide Alertness for Everyone course:
“SafeTALK was a great course and the trainer was excellent. This training absolutely met our expectations and has been a very useful and validating session for the team. They will now proceed with confidence when difficult situations arise.”
The University of Edinburgh
Comments from participants who attended the course:
"The TALK acronym is a really easy way to remember the most important things."
"It has made me think about how to start conversations about suicide with my students."
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Find out more
Please get in touch with us if you have any questions. We are always happy to talk about our courses and help you to work out the best match for your requirements.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
"The quality of the training has been fantastic and our employees are really engaging with the trainer and getting something out of it. Also In Equilibrium makes the whole process very easy to arrange."
"We wanted to provide a course that taught useful and practical coping strategies that our members could put into place straight away. In Equilibrium’s experience showed us that they could provide this, and they tailored the course perfectly."
"In-Equilibrium recently presented Mental Health Awareness to Managers in all of our area offices. The training was really well received and all of the trainers were praised for their in-depth knowledge and understanding."
"The training was very well received by staff who now all intend to implement the session’s practical tips and techniques into their existing roles. A large proportion of the staff rated the facilitator and their delivery as excellent and their only recommendation was for a further and longer session!"
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