Courses – 11 Edmontonians attempt, or die by suicide per day.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) – CMHA Edmonton

Training

Attending this two-day course will train you to intervene with an individual who is suicidal.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is an intensive, interactive, and practice-dominated course
designed to help caregivers recognize and review risk, and intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. It is
by far the most widely used, acclaimed and researched suicide intervention training workshop in the world.

Learning Objectives

Recognize that caregivers and persons at risk are affected by personal and societal attitudes about suicide
Discuss suicide with a person at risk in a direct manner
Identify risk alerts and develop a safe plan related to them
Demonstrate the skills required to intervene with a person at risk of suicide
List the types of resources available to a person at risk of suicide, including themselves
Make a commitment to improving community resources and networking

Recognize that suicide prevention is broader than suicide intervention and, includes life promotion and self-care
for persons at risk and for caregivers

Audience

Ages 18+ – Participants can include but not limited to: parents and caregivers; natural helpers and advisors;
educators and ministers; health practitioners; justice, law enforcers, emergency workers, and community
volunteers

Dates	Name of Training or Education	Provider	Link
November
Date: November 28 & 29	Training/Education: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) - CMHA Edmonton	Provider: Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region	REGISTER
December
Date: December 5 & 6	Training/Education: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) - CMHA Edmonton	Provider: Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region	REGISTER

TIDeS: Trauma-Informed De-escalation Strategies – Discount Code Living24

Training

Trauma-Informed De-escalation Strategies – TIDeS

This full-day training is designed to provide participants with critical skills in using trauma-informed de-escalation strategies. Research shows that trauma is highly prevalent in the general public and will likely play a role in interactions with an escalated individual. TIDeSTM not only considers the trauma of the escalated individual but also the person providing support. Participants will take a deep dive into assessing their own attitudes, boundaries, communication styles, and debriefing strategies. There is a focus on prevention and long-term reduction of crisis situations. Intended for all areas of the community, this training provides a universal trauma-informed approach to de-escalation.

Objectives:

Understand the basics of trauma-informed care and the principles of de-escalating a potential crisis.
Develop skills in assessing attitudes, setting boundaries, and communicating effectively.
Utilize trauma-informed de-escalation strategies to encourage safe connection.
Explore the application of strategies in different demographics using case studies.
Learn strategies for debriefing following a crisis.

This training is now available at no cost to Edmonton and area participants by using discount code Living24.

Dates	Name of Training or Education	Provider	Link
December
Date: December 10	Training/Education: TIDeS: Trauma-Informed De-escalation Strategies - Discount Code Living24	Provider: Imagine Institute for Learning	REGISTER

Intergenerational Wisdom – Discount Code Living24

Training

Intergenerational wisdom – can be described as the sharing and transmission of knowledge, beliefs, and experiences from one generation to the next. Part of this includes intergenerational trauma where trauma and pain are transmitted through generations. However, there is more to intergenerational wisdom than passing on the hurt; it also includes the transmission of hope, strength, and resilience, which helps break the cycle of trauma. This Intergenerational Wisdom training is an extension of our Trauma-Informed Care training and will take on an Indigenous perspective. This training was built with the belief that there is resilience in education. Through the sharing of knowledge, it is possible to learn, grow, and find the capacity to create stronger relationships and a healthier future for everyone residing on the lands we share. Join us on this two-day training to reframe the way you think about intergenerational trauma and develop a deeper understanding of the trauma and resilience continually experienced in Indigenous communities in Alberta. This training will include a combination of science and narratives from Indigenous peoples, allowing for an informative and humanizing experience.

Objectives

Build awareness about the trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples in Alberta
Understand the various ways trauma is passed on through generations and the role trauma is still playing in Indigenous communities
Reframe the way we perceive intergenerational trauma into a learning opportunity and a story of resilience
Reflect on the wisdom shared and the next steps to break the cycle of trauma

Edmonton and area participants enter discount code Living24 during checkout on the provider’s website.

Our Children Are Sacred – Youth Suicide Prevention Course

A youth suicide prevention course and resource for adults interacting with individuals at risk for suicide.

Training

This 2-day interactive course is designed to increase awareness on the preventative and protective factors that put people at risk for suicide, and provides participants with the skills to respond to a person considering suicide.

Our Children Are Sacred is a Youth Suicide Prevention Course and resource for adults interacting with individuals at risk for suicide. This 2-day interactive course is designed to increase awareness, reduce stigma and provide information about those factors that put people at risk for suicide, while empowering participants to respond appropriately to a person considering suicide.

For more information click here.

Mental Health First Aid (Virtual)

The Mental Health First Aid training was developed to help people provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

MHFA teaches mental health first aid skills. The course does not train people to be therapists, counselors, or mental health professionals. The philosophy behind MHFA is that mental health crisis, such as suicidal and self-harming actions, may be avoided through early intervention. If a crisis does arise, then members of the public can take action that may reduce the harm that could result.

This 9-hour course opens with a self-directed module (Module 1 – Self Directed) that focuses on the information and strategies that participants will discuss and practice throughout the virtual classroom modules (Modules 2 and 3 – Virtual Classroom). Course participants are required to complete Module 1 before participating in Module 2 and 3.

Participants will receive the “MHFA Participant Reference Guide” that outlines MHFA actions for developing mental health and substance use problems, and mental health and substance use crises.

Dates	Name of Training or Education	Provider	Link
November
Date: November 19 & 20	Training/Education: Mental Health First Aid (Virtual)	Provider: Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region	REGISTER

LivingWorks Start

Training

In just one hour online, LivingWorks Start teaches trainees to recognize when someone is thinking about suicide and connect them to help and support.

LivingWorks Start teaches valuable skills to everyone 13 and older and requires no formal training or prior experience in suicide prevention.

When you sign up for LivingWorks Start training, you’ll learn a powerful four-step model to keep someone safe from suicide, and you’ll have a chance to practice it with impactful simulations.

Safety resources and support are available throughout the program.

Name of Training or Education	Link
Online (These courses are available online, and can be completed at any time)
Training/Education: LivingWorks Start	Register

Trauma Informed Care (Virtual) – Discount Code Living24

Training

This two-day introductory training acknowledges the prevalence and significant impact of trauma in an individual’s life and aims to inform service providers how to apply a trauma-informed lens to their current practice.

This workshop will define and describe the six main trauma-informed principles outlined in the literature and will
focus on how to translate these principles into practice.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Define trauma and understand the different types of trauma
Identify the signs and symptoms of trauma
Understand the impacts and effects of trauma
Define and understand trauma-informed practice
Identify the main principles of trauma-informed practice
Understand how to implement trauma-informed principles at the organizational, personal and practice level
Reflect on how this knowledge fits into your current work
Recognize the impact working with trauma can have on a practitioner and understand the importance of self-care and reflective practice

Edmonton and area participants enter discount code Living24 during checkout on the provider’s website.

Dates	Name of Training or Education	Provider	Link
December
Date: December 5 & 6	Training/Education: Trauma Informed Care (Virtual) - Discount Code Living24	Provider: Imagine Institute for Learning	REGISTER

Counselling on Access to Lethal Means

Training

Reducing access to lethal means, such as firearms and medication, can determine whether a person at risk for suicide lives or dies.

This course is about how to reduce access to the methods people use to kill themselves. It covers who needs lethal means counseling and how to work with people at risk for suicide—and their families—to reduce access.

After completing this course you will be able to:

Explain that reducing access to lethal means is an evidence-based strategy for suicide prevention.
Explain how reducing access to lethal means can prevent suicide.
Identify clients for whom lethal means counseling is appropriate.
Describe strategies for raising the topic of lethal means, and feel more comfortable and competent applyingthese strategies with clients.
Advise clients on specific off-site and in-home secure storage options for firearms and strategies to limitaccess to dangerous medications.
Work with your clients and their families to develop a specific plan to reduce access to lethal means andfollow up on the plan over time.

While this course is primarily designed for mental health professionals, others who work with people at risk
for suicide, such as health care providers and social service professionals, may also benefit. This course can be
completed in approximately two hours. You do not have to complete the course in one session. You can exit the
course at any time and return later to the place where you left off.

Name of Training or Education	Link
Online (These courses are available online, and can be completed at any time)
Training/Education: Counselling on Access to Lethal Means	Register

QPR Online Gatekeeper Training (Virtual) – Discount Code Living24

Training

QPR offers extended learning opportunities for professions which are especially likely to come into contact with individuals who are in-crisis or suicidal.

Key components covered in the training:

How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal
How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide
The common causes of suicidal behavior
The warning signs of suicide
How to get help for someone in crisis

This education is intended for professional practitioners and agency staff for the intention of expanding practice
and offering applied learning opportunities.

Edmonton and area participants enter discount code Living24 during checkout on the provider’s website.

Understanding Suicide – Discount Code Living24

Training

Participants will engage in suicide prevention through the lens of empathy and personal connection. The knowledge shared will help participants engage with individuals experiencing suicidal ideation in meaningful ways without focusing explicitly on intervention strategies. A significant part of the course is represented by sharing the experience of individuals who struggle with suicidal ideation and attempt suicide to survive. We will take a direct, unflinching look at why people take their own lives, so this is not intended to be a light-hearted session. Please take the time to assess your emotional and mental readiness to be present. We take a much deeper dive into suicide than traditional intervention courses.

Learning Objectives

Review the historical existence of suicide and the opinions shared by different societies.
Examine multiple theories and contributing factors to build a holistic perspective of why people both feel suicidal and take their own lives.
Practice having empathy for and understanding the perspective of those who attempt or die by suicide.
Explore insights from attempt survivors around the experience of suicide, including its effect on the attempter as well as their loved ones.
Shift from seeing suicide as a choice or impulsive event to an outcome or the final step of an extended process.