ASIST Training for Caregivers

By the Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention

ASIST is designed to help all caregivers become more willing, ready and able to help persons at risk. Suicide can be prevented with the help of prepared caregivers.

Just as “CPR" skills make physical first aid possible, training in suicide intervention develops the skills used in suicide first aid. ASIST is a two-day intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help caregivers recognize risk and learn how to intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide.

The workshop is for all caregivers (any person in a position of trust). This includes professionals, paraprofessionals and lay people. It is suitable for mental health professionals, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, teachers, counselors, youth workers, police and correctional staff, school support staff, clergy, and community volunteers.

ASIST has five learning sections:

Preparing: sets the tone, norms, and expectations of the learning experience.

Connecting: sensitizes participants to their own attitudes towards suicide. It creates an understanding of the impact attitudes have on the intervention process.

Understanding: overviews the intervention needs of a person at risk. It focuses on providing participants with the knowledge and skills to recognize risk and develop safe plans to reduce the risk of suicide.

Assisting: presents a model for effective suicide intervention. Participants develop their skills through observation and supervised simulation experiences in large and small groups.

Networking: generates information about resources in the local community. It promotes a commitment by participants to transform local resources into helping networks.

Emphasizing structured small-group discussions and practice, the course uses a 20-page workbook and two award-winning audiovisuals. Participants receive a 152-page Suicide Intervention Handbook and a full color, tear-resistant wallet card featuring intervention, risk review and safe plan development principles. They serve as living refreshers of the workshop learning.

ASIST is designed to help all caregivers become more ready, willing and able to help persons at risk. Prepared caregivers can help prevent suicide.

Unprepared caregivers tend to deny, avoid, even stigmatize and punish persons at risk. That is what society has traditionally done. All evidence indicates that unprepared caregivers continue this dangerous tradition. Training is required to turn denial, avoidance and stigmatization into vigilance, understanding and help.

Join the more than one million caregivers and participate in a LivingWorks ASIST workshop. You will learn to recognize and estimate risk-and become more effective at helping people at risk. The benefits will live on.

To sponsor a workshop or ask questions regarding the ASIST training, please contact the Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention:

Contact Rick Egan
(702) 486-8225 – Regan@health.nv.gov for Southern Events

Contact Janett Massolo
(775) 687-0847 – JMassolo@health.nv.gov for Northern Events