LivingWorks Programmes

Programmes are designed to help mobilise and prepare people to engage in suicide prevention activities.  ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is designed to respond to this need for enhanced suicide intervention knowledge and competence.  Importantly, it also invites reflection on how attitudes about suicide can impact on intervention activities. 

The focus of ASIST is suicide first aid recognising and responding to people at imminent risk.  Originally developed in Canada in the 1980s, this 2 day programme has been progressively modified.  Over 200,000 people have participated in ASIST worldwide.

ASIST Workshops

The flagship LivingWorks programme is the ASIST workshop (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training).

ASIST is a 2-day skills-based workshop that helps equip people for suicide first-aid. The emphasis is on increasing carers' ability to promote the immediate safety of someone who may be at risk of suicide and providing links to further help.

ASIST has been highly valued by all kinds of carers. Workshop participants include people concerned about family members or friends, along with those in public contact, volunteer or professional helping roles.

This workshop goes beyond suicide awareness programmes which tend to provide a general orientation to suicide, intervention tips and exploration of attitudes about suicide.

ASIST helps increase people's ability to recognise when someone may be at risk of suicide and reach out in a supportive way that links them with further resources.
The importance of linking people to informal supports (such as family and friends) and options for professional help is emphasised.

Participants say the workshop increased their confidence and ability to recognise and approach someone who may be at risk of suicide and provide links to further resources.

 Evaluation studies and an evaluation overview based on these studies provide evidence of workshop effectiveness.

All ASIST workshops are provided by registered LivingWorks trainers.

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