A free workshop is coming to Texarkana this week to help support all community members interested in learning how to be proactive when intervention skills are needed for
individuals in crisis. The LivingWorks ASIST will be a two-day, two-trainer workshop. The workshop will be designed to help family, friends and other community members who may be the first to respond to a crisis or to talk to someone at risk, but who have little to no training. The audience focus will be veterans, families and support systems that provide aid to veterans at risk. ASIST will also provide those in formal helping roles such as police officers, first responders and teachers with professional development to ensure that they are prepared to provide suicide first aid help as part of the care they provide.
“We will be helping your community members learn how to help someone who is in crisis with the ASIST skills. It will help you learn how to identify someone who is acutely suicidal. Our training includes how to help de-escalate situations and bring those individuals to safety. Imagine driving up to a bridge and finding someone who is about to end their life, and being the only one there to help someone in their moment of need. With this training, you would be able to deescalate the situation using all of the training we provide to bring that individual into safety,” says Tyler West, a member of the Arkansas Board of Directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
“This is one of the few times that this training will be completely free for the community. Thanks to the CARES act signed by Former President Trump, we were able to receive this grant to come into your community and provide this training,” says West. The workshop will be a two-day program. It will be held June 24th & June 25th from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., located at the Collins Home in Texarkana, TX (1915 Olive Street, Texarkana, Texas). “This workshop is designed for those who could become pillars in their communities, and families for individuals who need help. The ArkLaTex is a tight-knit community, and we want to be there for each other,” says West.
“A lot of the time people don’t know how to talk about suicide, and most of the time people don’t know how to identify the risks, or see the signs in others. This course will help guide those in the community to learn how to identify the risks, observe the signs, and help de-escalate situations to help provide safety for those most at risk,” says West. To register for the free workshop go to http://supportyourvets.net.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide reach out to the National Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
