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.
Offered several times throughout the year, this virtual workshop is for individuals, families or communities who are bereaved by suicide. The workshop is also designed for anyone wanting to learn how to support a loved one or friend who is bereaved by suicide. See our events page to find the next public training or request a training for your organization.
This workshop will shine light on concepts rarely discussed in our culture:
Are your experiences ‘normal’?
Will you find joy again?
What does useful support for a suicide loss survivor look like?
Learning Objectives:
– Understand suicide grief and how it is similar and different to other types of grief
– Describe the physical, mental, and emotional components of suicide grief
– Understand the unique needs of someone experiencing suicide grief and how to best support them
– Explore healing strategies for living with suicide loss
These and many other questions will be answered in this 60-minute webinar.
A resource list will be made available to all participants.
This webinar is led by Charlene Ray, MSW, LICSW, a longtime grief counselor and Forefront Suicide Prevention Trainer who shares her wisdom and experience.
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.
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.
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
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.
If you are unable to register, please email ffront@uw.edu
Special thanks to our partners who helped make this training
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.
In Partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Partnership Access Line (PAL), Forefront Suicide Prevention is pleased to present a FAST Skills Workshop Series.
The First Approach Skills Training (FAST) programs are designed to provide brief, evidence-based behavioral therapy methods for youth and families with common mental health concerns. These workshops, intended for parents/caregivers and/or school based mental health providers will give an overview of the FAST approach and accompanying resources and will build on our 2023-24 workshop series.
These trainings are approved for 1 Clock Hour per session for Washington state educators for those attending in real time. Sessions will be recorded and made available to all participants who pre-register, whether or not you are able to attend every session.
Jennifer Blossom, PhD is a Clinical Child Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maine. Dr. Blossom received her PhD in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!). She completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship training at the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital. As a member of the Clinical Faculty at UMaine, Dr. Blossom maintains an active program of research, mentors doctoral and undergraduate students, and teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Dr. Blossom has clinical expertise in youth anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention and maintains an active clinical role through consultation and training of primary care-based clinicians and community providers. Dr. Blossom’s program of research employs an implementation science approach to improve community capacity to identify and intervene for youth with mental health problems. Specifically, Dr. Blossom’s research aims to enhance service delivery, efficiency, access, and engagement, for youth with anxiety, depression, or at risk for suicide, with the ultimate goal of realizing a public health impact.
China Bolden Jarvis, PhD is a Clinical Child Psychologist and Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Bolden Jarvis received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and completed her predoctoral internship at the University of Washington School of Medicine/Seattle Children’s Hospital. As a postdoc and member of the FAST team, Dr. Bolden Jarvis focuses on research and development as well as training and consultation. Dr. Bolden Jarvis has clinical expertise in youth trauma, depression, and suicidality as well as in supporting youth and families through behavior management training. Dr. Bolden Jarvis is currently starting a program of research with an emphasis on understanding ways in which communities can be supported and bolstered to address mental health concerns from within the community. She also aims to understand the underlying mechanisms of youth suicide with a particular interest in understanding the ongoing significant increases in death by suicide for youth of color.
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.
If you are unable to register for the training, please seethis 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.
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 Construction Industry is a Crisis
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and suicide rates for people in the construction industry are nearly 2.5 times higher than average rates in other industries. Within the construction industry, Washington State recorded 125 deaths from suicide in 2020 alone. To address this epidemic, Forefront Suicide Prevention has collaborated with leading construction industry companies Hensel Phelps and Lakeside Industries to produce a suicide prevention training that will improve worker safety both on and off the jobsite.
Why Your Workplace Should Care about Suicide Prevention…
…If you’re an executive or small business owner, this is simple:Suicide hammers productivity.
Also, it’s the right thing to do.
$70 billion plus: Suicides and suicide attempts nationwide in one year surpassed $70 billion in medical and work-loss costs. (CDC 2018) Not included is the cost of lower productivity among workers who grieve for a colleague.
$326 billion: Depression in the nation’s workforce cost this amount annually before the pandemic. (Analysis Group 2021) Depression is a risk factor for suicide and can be chronic, recurring, and debilitating.
Caring for employeeshas evolved over generations: The eight-hour workday emerged as a big issue in the 1870s. Pensions became reality at major firms in the early 1900s. Today, treating workers as people who experience challenge and crisis in their lives is not only a smart retention tool – it is the right thing to do. With rising numbers of adults who experience suicidal thoughts (Mental Health America), suicide prevention can help keep your workplace safe from tragedy.
What is a “workplace suicide”? This term includes the suicide of any employee of a business, no matter where the death occurred. The reason for this definition? At times, the term “workplace suicide” is considered a geographic description, including only deaths that occur at or inside a worksite. It is in the interest of a business, however, to support its employees in ways that lead to balanced lives and consistent best efforts on the job. Thus, “workplace suicide” in this space refers to any employee’s suicide, no matter the location.
How big is the problem? Over nine of the past 10 years, suicide has been among the nation’s top 10 causes of death. With the pandemic in 2020, suicide fell to the No. 12 cause of death. Preliminary national data for 2020 indicate a total of 44,834 suicides. (CDC)
Start at the beginning: Effective suicide prevention starts long before an individual first thinks about ending their life. Upstream from that painful moment, these values – strong community, healthy conversation, a culture of respect, and easy access to behavioral health care – are what help keep people resilient and productive. These values belong in your workplace if you are serious about preventing suicide.
One Executive’s Approach
Courtesy of Hoffman Construction
Dave Johnson, executive vice president of Hoffman Construction Co., helped his firm develop Hoffman GUTS – Get Us There Safe. This year, along came a ‘second pillar’ to GUTS – a mental health campaign: “Tough Enough to Talk.”
No matter what industry you work in, your leader’s voice is essential to this work. When your CEO or leading executive speaks out on suicide prevention and behavioral health, your managers and your work force will take these issues seriously. If leadership remains silent, your efforts are handicapped at the outset.
A university president who lost his son to suicide shows his leadership and passion in communicating on the issue.
Overview: Developing a Workplace Suicide Prevention Plan
This material offers an overview of the steps needed to build a suicide prevention plan for your workplace. Below, a more detailed version of this step by step plan is available to download. If carried out with dedication and open minds, this work will engage your entire team and bring unexpected strength to your company. Also, we recommend you refer to the excellent material found at Workplace Suicide Prevention.
Implementing an effective suicide prevention plan will take time.
Table of Contents
The Power of Story
Your Work Culture
Onboarding New Workers
Mentors and Peer Supporters
Suicide Prevention Training
Protocols for Suicide Risk
Taking Leave & Returning to Work
After Care
1.The power of story: We can’t fix what we can’t talk about.
Use storytelling as a means of raising awareness about suicide prevention. Discussing delicate issues such as suicide can make some people uneasy. Storytelling is a powerful tool to help set people at ease and help them absorb new material.
Such storytelling can be brief yet powerful, especially if you allow some of your own vulnerability to show. In this context, vulnerability is often seen as personal strength. (“Wow, that was brave, telling us that.”) (Kime, 2020)
If your business holds regular safety meetings, you have a natural space to talk about mental health and suicide prevention. If not, make an opportunity during staff meetings. Develop a plan that allows you to revisit these topics at intervals.
2.Your work culture: Prevention of suicide will involve several facets of your work culture and should include these issues and more:
Establish a culture of respect regarding mental health (CDC).
Emphasize wellness, recognition, flexibility, and celebration to help relieve excess job stress (WSP).
Adopt a management style that allows employee participation in decision-making (NIOSH).
3. Onboarding new workers allows opportunity to emphasize their value to your organization. This culture of respect should extend to continuing support and education:
Support recovery from mental health issues and substance use disorders. (SAMHSA) To do this, make clear to employees. that the business will welcome their requests to create meetings and other potential support.
Educate employees regarding suicide and related mental health concerns.
Some suicide prevention and education on lethal methods should be universal; other elements may be required for managers. All education should remain available to all interested employees without the need to take leave.
4. Mentors, peer supporters, ambassadors or other formal/informal support roles
Develop informal and/or formal roles for individuals who are skilled at listening and offering positive guidance.
Build in ways to publicly recognize not only high-producing employees, but also junior employees with promise and workers in support roles.
Share information throughout the company; encourage questions and feedback both top down and bottom up. These types of transparency help workers feel more in control of their lives.
5. Forefront Suicide Prevention’s LEARN® Training has been customized for certain professional and community audiences. Such training is sometimes known as gatekeeper training and is an essential tool.
Ideally, this training should be universal in your workplace. These trainings always should be available during paid working hours.
If universal training is impossible, ensure training for managers, employees who are informal or natural leaders, and employees with interest in the topic.
Forefront’s LEARN is an evidence-informed training. This means all LEARN material is drawn from evidence-based knowledge. (Forefront, n.d.)
6. Protocols to guide your actions in times of serious suicide risk or crisis
Ensure clear understanding regarding which position(s), among employees trained in suicide prevention, will respond to a report of serious risk or crisis for each division of the workplace.
Maintain a strong policy of removal or locked storage of ‘lethal means,’ i.e., material that can be used to end one’s life. This includes firearms, medications, and chemicals at minimum.
Lethal means safety is an effective way to prevent suicide. (Means Matter, n.d.)
7. Taking leave & returning to work
The federal Family Medical Leave Act ensures that 12 weeks of unpaid leave are available regarding a serious health condition. FMLA covers any employer with at least 50 employees.
A serious suicide attempt that involves hospitalization may be covered under FMLA. (Honigman Law, n.d.) A serious health condition may also include treatment for major depression or a serious mental illness. (Spiggle Law, n.d.) The applicability of FMLA will depend on the circumstances of an individual case.
For employees’ best success, a phased return to work should be offered. Recovery from a serious suicide attempt often calls for professional mental health care. (SAMHSA)
8. After Care: a protocol for actions in the wake of a suicide
The highest priority after a suicide is the wellness of your employees and, to some extent, the family of the deceased employee. An individual who has been considering suicide (whether recognized or not) may be at greater risk. This is true for individuals whose connection with the deceased was through the workplace or through their personal life, and also for emotionally fragile individuals who had no known connection with the decedent.
When speaking of someone who recently died by suicide focus more on their life than on their death.
Grieving the suicide of a child or another loved one entails far more intense suffering than is commonly recognized. Employers should extend time-off options, and gauge the return of employees to full productivity with this in mind. (Petriglieri & Maitlis, 2019)
‘After Care’ is typically referred to as postvention within the field of suicide prevention.
The National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation and Forefront Suicide Prevention are among collaborators in the Safer Homes Coalition that helped to develop the Safer Homes training. Firearms retailers, state agencies, law enforcement, mental health providers, health care providers and suicide prevention advocates also contributed to its development.
Firearm safety is a proud tradition in Washington and across the United States. For many years, the American firearms-using public has embraced safe storage in order to avoid the tragedy of a young child dying or hurting another in an accidental shooting. Today, the largest risk by far of firearm death is to boys and men who end their lives by suicide.
Free to Washington state firearm retailers and instructors, the skills learned in this training will help retailers and instructors – as well as anyone within the firearms community – to take actions that will help to save lives.
If you are a firearm retailer from another state, you may take the training for a modest fee. Please contact the Safer Homes Coalition (info@SaferHomesCoalition.org) to request an access for the training.
After taking this training, participants will be able to order or download (free) Safer Homes Materials to help them in educating their customers about safe storage to counter today’s risk.