Cheryl Legate & Associates

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

ASIST is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first-aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may be at risk 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—ASIST can be learned and used by anyone.

As the world’s leading suicide intervention workshop, LivingWorks’ ASIST program is supported by numerous evaluations including independent and peer-reviewed studies. Results demonstrate that ASIST helps partic- ipants become more willing, ready, and able to inter- vene with someone at risk of suicide. ASIST is also proven to reduce suicidality for those at risk. A 2013 study that monitored over 1,500 suicidal callers to crisis lines found that callers who spoke with ASIST-trained counselors were 74% less likely to be sui- cidal after the call, compared to callers who spoke with counselors trained in methods other than ASIST. Callers were also less overwhelmed, less depressed, and more hopeful after speaking with ASIST-trained counselors.

FOCUS: Suicide intervention training
DURATION: Two days (15 hours)
PARTICIPANTS: Anyone 16 or older
TRAINERS: 2-3 Registered Trainers per Workshop
LANGUAGES: English

Goals & Objectives:

In the course of the two-day workshop, ASIST participants learn to:

Understand the ways personal and societal attitudes affect views on suicide and interventions

Provide guidance and suicide first-aid to a person at risk in ways that meet their individual safety needs

Identify the key elements of an effective suicide safety plan and the actions required to implement it

Appreciate the value of improving and integrating sui- cide prevention resources in the community at large

Recognize other important aspects of suicide preven- tion including life-promotion and self-care

ASIST Trainers:

ASIST workshops are facilitated by a minimum of two registered trainers who have completed a five-day Training for Trainers (T4T) course. ASIST trainers come from diverse backgrounds, but they must all deliver regular workshops and participate in a rigorous quality control program to remain registered.

ASIST Participants:

ASIST is a resource for the whole community. It helps people apply suicide first-aid in many settings: with family, friends, co-workers, and teammates, as well as formal caregiving roles. Many organizations have incorporated ASIST into professional development for their employees. Its widespread use in various communities creates a common language to understand suicide safety issues and communicate across different organizational backgrounds.