Advanced Training for Educational Staff Associates

This course is offered several times a year. Visit our events page to learn when the next offering will take place.

Course Description:

Many of us have confided in others during dark times, and vice versa. But it can feel awkward, if not downright frightening, not knowing what to do when a loved one or a peer shows suicide warning signs. Developed by Forefront, the five simple and effective LEARN steps empower individuals to help others move in the direction of hope, recovery, and survival. The Advanced LEARN for Educational Staff Associates covers additional important topics for school staff, including suicide screening and safety planning intervention, and gives participants an opportunity to practice these important skills with experts in the field. The Advanced LEARN is listed as a model course by the WA Department of Health.

Detailed Agenda:

00:30: Introduction and public health issue of youth suicide (Covers risk factors, why people die by suicide, and recent data)

00:30 – 2:00: Suicide prevention skills using Forefront’s LEARN model (Includes imminent harm by lethal means, practice using screening tools, and key components of safety planning intervention)

2:00 – 3:00: Prevention approaches practice (Gives participants an opportunity to practice completing a safety planning intervention with their peers)

Learning Objectives:

Overview:

– Explain the public health issue of youth suicide & why people die by suicide- Understand Forefront’s LEARN model

Screening:

– Identify an individual at risk for suicide & use the ASQ screening tool

Safety Planning:

– Complete a safety plan for an individual at risk for suicide

Please note: This course is listed as a model course by the WA Department of Health and meets the 3 Hour training requirement for ESA staff, ESAs needing to document their suicide prevention hours can use form 4020-S. Educators are eligible for up to three (3) clock hours for completing the suicide prevention training course.

This workshop has been approved for 3 CEUs by the Washington Chapter, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) for Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists and Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Our Provider number is #1975-473. NASW is also an approved clock hour provider for Educators.

Forefront Suicide Prevention LEARN® Advanced Training

This course is currently being offered several times a year. Check out our list of events for more info.

Course Description:

Many of us have confided in others during dark times, and vice versa. But it can feel awkward, if not downright frightening, not knowing what to do when a loved one or a peer shows suicide warning signs. Developed by Forefront, the five simple and effective LEARN steps empower individuals to help others move in the direction of hope, recovery, and survival. The Advanced LEARN for Educational Staff Associates covers additional important topics for school staff, including suicide screening and safety planning intervention, and gives participants an opportunity to practice these important skills with experts in the field. The Advanced LEARN is listed as a model course by the WA Department of Health.

Detailed Agenda:

00:30: Introduction and public health issue of youth suicide (Covers risk factors, why people die by suicide, and recent data)

00:30 – 2:00: Suicide prevention skills using Forefront’s LEARN model (Includes imminent harm by lethal means, practice using screening tools, and key components of safety planning intervention)

2:00 – 3:00: Prevention approaches practice (Gives participants an opportunity to practice completing a safety planning intervention with their peers)

Learning Objectives:

Overview:

– Explain the public health issue of youth suicide & why people die by suicide- Understand Forefront’s LEARN model

Screening:

– Identify an individual at risk for suicide & use the ASQ screening tool

Safety Planning:

– Complete a safety plan for an individual at risk for suicide

Please note: This course is listed as a model course by the WA Department of Health and meets the 3 Hour training requirement for ESA staff, ESAs needing to document their suicide prevention hours can use form 4020-S. Educators are eligible for up to three (3) clock hours for completing the suicide prevention training course.

This workshop has been approved for 3 CEUs by the Washington Chapter, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) for Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists and Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Our Provider number is #1975-473. NASW is also an approved clock hour provider for Educators.

Streaming Series: Fundamentals of Community-Based Suicide Prevention

Learn how a comprehensive approach can help reduce suicides and save lives. 

This seven-part video series provides a roadmap for a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention and outlines essential strategies and best practices to support this.  

The series builds on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP)’s 2017 report Transforming Communities: Key Elements for the Implementation of Comprehensive Community-Based Suicide Prevention and aligns with the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Federal Action Plan.

This series is for government, community, and organizational leaders and professionals working in suicide prevention. It is free to stream on demand.  

Developed & presented by Jeffrey C. Sung, in partnership with Forefront and the Washington State Department of Health.

Seven-Part Video Series

  1. Introduction: Characteristics of Suicide and Challenges in Prevention
  2. Overview of Suicide Prevention: The Public Health Approach and Comprehensive Programming
  3. Messaging and Communications: Framework for Successful Messaging
  4. Connectedness in Suicide Prevention
  5. Recognition and Referral: Gatekeeper Role in Suicide Prevention
  6. Lethal Means Safety: Firearms and Suicide Risk
  7. Health Care Settings: Suicide Care and the Zero Suicide Framework

Suicide Prevention and Older Adults

2 older adult couples hugging

This course explores suicide prevention strategies to support older adults, their caregivers, and professionals who support them. This course will take approximately one hour to complete. 

Learn Specific Skills for Suicide Prevention in Older Adults: 

  • Learn about unique challenges and risk factors older adults face. 
  • Explore the public health issue of suicide and why people may consider dying by suicide. 
  • Understand the importance of conversations about wellness and suicidality in reducing stigma and increasing connection. 
  • Understand thoughtful storage access to high-risk lethal means. 
  • Identify available resources and recommend appropriate resources for a wide variety of scenarios. 

If you have trouble registering, please email ffront@uw.edu

Suicide among Older Adults is a Crisis  

Suicide ranks as a leading cause of death in Washington state and the United States. Of all age groups, adults who are 75 and older have the highest rates of suicide. Furthermore, the majority of both caregivers and care recipients in the United States are over 50 years old. Older adults are at greater risk of social isolation, bereavement, and chronic health conditions, which may contribute to suicide. To address this problem, Forefront Suicide Prevention has collaborated with gerontology professionals in the Puget Sound to produce a suicide prevention training that will improve the safety and wellbeing of older adults.  

References  

  • Suicide Data and Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nov 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html 
  • American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Caregiving in the U.S. 2020. Published May 2020. https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/ppi/2020/05/full-report-caregiving-in-the-united-states.doi.10.26419-2Fppi.00103.001.pdf  
  • Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published August 14, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm?s_cid=mm6932a1_w ​ 
  • Solimando L, Fasulo M, Cavallero S, Veronese N, Smith L, Vernuccio L, Bolzetta F, Dominguez LJ, Barbagallo M. Suicide risk in caregivers of people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2022;34(10):2255-2260. doi: 10.1007/s40520-022-02160-6  
  • Van Orden K, Conwell Y. Suicides in late life. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2011 Jun;13(3):234-41. doi: 10.1007/s11920-011-0193-3. PMID: 21369952; PMCID: PMC3085020.​ 

Suicide Prevention Training for First Responders

fire truck

This course explores suicide prevention strategies to support first responders. This course will take approximately one hour to complete.

Learn Specific First Responder Skills for Suicide Prevention:

  • Learn about unique challenges and risk factors first responders face.
  • Explore the public health issue of suicide and why people may consider dying by suicide.
  • Understand the importance of conversations about wellness and suicidality in reducing stigma and increasing connection.
  • Learn about reducing the danger of lethal means use.
  • Identify available resources for first responders and recommend appropriate resources for a wide variety of scenarios.

If you are unable to register, please email ffront@uw.edu

Special thanks to our partners who helped make this training

list of agency partner logos

References

1. Stanley IH, Hom MA, Hagan CR, Joiner TE. Career Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors among Firefighters. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2015;187:163-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.08.007.

2. Cerel J, Jones B, Brown M, Weisenhorn DA, Patel K. Suicide Exposure in Law Enforcement Officers. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 2019;49(5):1281-1289. DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12516.

Reconstructing Resilience: Mental Health Literacy

As we enter the fourth school year impacted by the COVID pandemic, youth mental health is in crisis, and educators and other professionals who work with youth are stretched thin providing support.

But there is hope. Resilience is a known protective factor for suicide prevention and mental health.

RECONSTRUCTING RESILIENCE is a three-part virtual conference series taking place throughout the 2022-23 school year, focusing on practical ideas and tools adults can use to support young people in developing the skills and resilience they need to recover from both the COVID and mental health crises.

Mental Health Literacy will gathered researchers, educators, clinicians, public health professionals, leaders and people who work with youth to discuss techniques and interventions successfully being used to help build strength and resiliency.

Agenda:

  • Kira Mauseth PhD returns to close out the series with a presentation designed to teach attendees what to look for and when to intervene when someone you know has mental distress. 
  • Teen Link volunteers hold a panel discussion around their experience as peer counselors and give attendees the teen perspective around mental health today.

Keynote Presentation:

The Reconstructing Resilience Series is sponsored by the Washington State Department of Health and Seattle Children’s.

 

Suicide Prevention for Veterinary Professionals

Suicide Prevention Training for Veterinary Professionals 

This three-part course explores suicide prevention strategies to support veterinary medicine professionals. This course will take approximately three hours to complete and meets state licensure requirements for veterinary professionals in Washington.

  • Three self-paced online training modules (total 3 hours)
  • Module I – LEARN Saves Lives: Suicide Prevention for Veterinary Professionals (1 hour)
  • Module II – The Intersection of Wellness & Suicide Prevention: Supporting the Health of Veterinary Medicine Professionals (1.5 hours)
  • Module III – Access to Lethal Means (0.5 hours)
  • Free and open to everyone.
  • Appropriate for veterinarians and other professionals working in the veterinary field.

Learn specific veterinary industry skills for suicide prevention:

  • Learn about unique challenges and risk factors veterinary professionals face.
  • Explain the public health issue of suicide and why people may consider dying by suicide.
  • Define and describe wellness concepts as they relate to the veterinary profession.
  • Understand the importance of conversations about wellness and suicidality in reducing stigma and increasing connection.
  • Understand thoughtful storage access to high-risk medications and other lethal means.
  • Identify available resources for veterinary professionals and recommend appropriate resources for a wide variety of scenarios.

Take and share this free 3-hour suicide prevention training today. 

If you are unable to register for the training, please see this handout for more information.  If you are still unable to register, please email ffront@uw.edu  

Suicide in the Veterinary Profession is a Crisis 

Suicide ranks as one of the top nine leading causes of death in Washington State and the United States. Compared to the general population, male veterinarians are 1.6 times more likely and female veterinarians are 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide. Furthermore, veterinary professionals report higher levels of anxiety, depression, compassion fatigue, and suicidal thoughts. To address this problem, Forefront Suicide Prevention has collaborated with Laura Moss, MD of the Washington Physicians Health Program and Sonja Olson, DVM of BluePearl Veterinary Partners​ and Heartstorming Wellness to produce a suicide prevention training that will improve the safety and wellbeing of veterinary professionals. 

References 

 

Reconstructing Resilience: Promising Practices

During this fourth school year impacted by the COVID pandemic, youth mental health is in crisis, and educators and other professionals who work with youth are stretched thin providing support.

But there is hope. Resilience is a known protective factor for suicide prevention and mental health.

RECONSTRUCTING RESILIENCE is a three-part virtual conference series taking place throughout the 2022-23 school year, focusing on practical ideas and tools adults can use to support young people in developing the skills and resilience they need to recover from both the COVID and mental health crises. Continuing Education Units are available for this series via NASW-WA Chapter.

Part 2 of this series, Promising Practices, took place on February 2, 2023.  Below are recordings  of the presentations and related materials.

Keynote Presentation:

This video was not made available by our speaker.

Overview of First Approach Skills Training (FAST):

SBIRT’s Role in Supporting Youth Wellbeing

The Reconstructing Resilience Series is sponsored by the Washington State Department of Health and Seattle Children’s.

Reconstructing Resilience: A Pandemic Recovery Roadmap

As we enter the fourth school year impacted by the COVID pandemic, youth mental health is in crisis, and educators and other professionals who work with youth are stretched thin providing support.

But there is hope. Resilience is a known protective factor for suicide prevention and mental health.

RECONSTRUCTING RESILIENCE is a three-part virtual conference series taking place throughout the 2022-23 school year, focusing on practical ideas and tools adults can use to support young people in developing the skills and resilience they need to recover from both the COVID and mental health crises.

Part 1 of this series titled A Pandemic Recovery Roadmap, took place on September 29, 2022 and featured esteemed presenters and a panel discussion.  The following are the event recordings and materials.

Keynote Presentation:

Behavioral Health Impacts of Covid-19 presented by Dr. Kira Mauseth, Ph.D., Washington State Department of Health.

PLEASE NOTE: Only those who registered for the event will be given viewing access to the keynote presentation.  Please see your email for the password.  To ensure access to future keynote presentations, please register for part 2 of our series

Forefront Suicide Prevention LEARN® Training:

Emma Mallonee, MPH, and Charlene Ray, LICSW, MSW present the Forefront Suicide Prevention LEARN® Training.  This 60-minute training gives people the knowledge and skills to prevent suicide in their community.

Lethal Means Safety Panel Discussion:

Moderated by Safer Homes, Safe Aware Manager Brett Bass, this panel brought together a cross-section of community leaders working to prevent access to the means of suicide in order to save lives.  Panelists include:  Jenny Arnold, PharmD, Washington State Pharmacy Association, Karyn Brownson, MSW, Public Health Seattle King County, Marybelle Camacho, LICSW, SUDPT, Social Work Department Seattle Children’s Hospital, Alex Sirotzki, MPH, Washington Poison Center, and Mike Sodini, Walk the Talk Initiative.

The Reconstructing Resilience Series is sponsored by the Washington State Department of Health, Boeing, and Seattle Children’s.  We thank them for their continued support of this series and look forward to Part 2, Promising Practices, on February 2, 2023. Special thanks also to Seattle artist DJ Alkimist for providing music for this year’s conference series.