Strengthening Your School’s Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing

Not sure where to start with suicide prevention education in your school? Strengthening Your School’s Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing is a great place to start. Click the image to the right for an overview on how our training offerings can uplift your school!

Additional information about ND THRIVES School-Based prevention here.

QPR Training: Question, Persuade, Refer

QPR training teaches people how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. By having the proper tools to help someone in crisis, you could save a life. Anyone can be trained in QPR.

Participants will learn how to recognize and respond positively to suicide warning signs and behaviors.

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) is a powerful addition to existing strategies to reduce the risk of suicide death in at-risk people while respecting their rights and autonomy. Help keep your at-risk clients safe by learning how to collaborate with them to implement safe storage of firearms and dangerous medications. Training is available for individual providers as well as organizations, with in-person and virtual options available. 

Conversations on Access to Lethal Means (CALM Conversations) can be implemented by anyone who is concerned about a relative, friend, or someone with whom they work. These workshops add specific CALM strategies to typical gatekeeper training and also offer participants the opportunity to observe and practice the techniques.

ND THRIVES has partnered with the CDC-funded ND HOPES project and local partners to develop the STARS Program: a comprehensive, evidenced-based substance use and suicide prevention training package for school buildings and districts. The package includes three distinct components: 

-A half-day interactive workshop for school leadership teams to develop building and district-wide policies, procedures, and implementation plans for substance use and suicide prevention 

-A 60-90 minute gatekeeper training for teachers and non-clinical school staff on identifying warning signs of substance use and suicide and following building and district protocol to connect those at risk to additional care, as needed 

-A 3-4 hour training for school behavioral health professionals on the clinical elements of substance use and suicide risk screening, intervention, and referral. The training includes instruction on the C-SSRS and CRAFFT 2.1+N screening tools, the Safety Planning Intervention for suicide risk, the Brief Negotiated Interview for substance use risk, and several methods of referral, follow-up, and monitoring.  

School buildings and districts can participate in all components of the school package or pick and choose components based on their needs.

Learn more here!

Sources of Strength is a radically strength-based, upstream suicide prevention program. SoS is implemented in schools, and uses a combination of Adult Advisors and Peer Leaders to improve school beliefs around suicide.

Sources of Strength provides a great opportunity to help teachers and staff see their role as connectors for students who may be struggling, in emotional distress, or be suicidal.

SBIRT-SC is a 3.5-hour training that integrates the elements of suicide care – screening, assessment, safety planning, and structured follow up – into the evidence-based SBIRT model for substance use prevention and early intervention. Because substance use and mental health conditions often co-occur, developing the clinical skills to jointly address substance use and suicide will help you deliver care that is both efficient and effective. This training is customized to meet your needs; additional interactivity and role play will increase the length incrementally from 3.5 hours to up to 1.5 days.

ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is for caregivers, counselors, and school psychologists. This proven program is trusted by professionals yet available to everyone.

Participants will attend a two-day workshop where they will learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, provide a skilled intervention, and develop a safety plan to keep someone alive.

Attendees will also increase willingness, confidence and preparedness to apply the Pathway for Assisting Life model and learn to provide suicide first aid.