A.S.I.S.T Training, Ballinasloe

26th April 2019

When: Saturday, 27 April '19 (over 2 days)
Where: Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
Cost: Free (registration required)

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognise when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants don't need any formal training to attend the workshop.

Who provides ASIST workshops?

Each ASIST workshop is led by at least two registered LivingWorks trainers. These trainers will have attended ASIST Training for Trainers, presented workshops regularly, and submitted continuous quality assurance reports. All trainers receive ongoing support from LivingWorks as they work to build suicide-safer communities.

The provision of ASIST training in the Republic of Ireland, is funded by the HSE.

Who should attend an ASIST workshop?

ASIST is for everyone. Anyone can learn the skills to intervene and save a life from suicide. Professionals as well as members of the community at large have all found great value in ASIST over the years.

Many professionals attend ASIST because suicide intervention skills are essential for their work. Nurses, GPs, mental health professionals, pharmacists, teachers, counsellors, youth workers, Gardaí, first responders, school support staff, clergy, and volunteers have all found that ASIST complements their existing training and knowledge.

Other people attend simply because they want to be able to help someone in need, in much the same way they might learn CPR. Because the training is comprehensive and doesn’t rely on prior qualifications, they can have the same meaningful experience as a professional caregiver.

Ultimately, ASIST is founded on the principle that everyone can make a difference in preventing suicide. The more people in the community who have suicide intervention training, the more likely it is they will be able to identify someone at risk and intervene to keep them safe.