Suicide Prevention

While CHWs are uniquely situated to help in suicide prevention efforts, they remain a largely untapped resource in supporting community members who are at a heightened risk for taking their own lives or self-injurious behaviors. This workshop will describe the Center for Health Impact’s efforts to integrate evidence-based and evidence-informed suicide prevention interventions into CHW training and community-focused education. Participants will learn specific and practical ways to incorporate suicide prevention into CHW work. We will demonstrate useful tools which are inclusive to widely diverse cultural groups and shine a light on the race-related stressors known to negatively affect the mental health of community members, including the CHWs themselves.

Teaches skills for providing initial help to people experiencing mental health problems such as, anxiety disorders, psychosis and substance use disorder. Participants learn how to appropriately respond when someone appears to be at risk for suicide or self-injury. Training participants who successfully complete the program will receive MHFA certification from the National Council For Behavioral Health.