Recognizing that everyone has a role to play in preventing suicide, New York State provides a variety of evidence-based trainings, workshops, online learning modules, and resources to meet the specific needs of clinicians, other health care workers, community members, and school staff.
Are you interested in hosting a suicide prevention, intervention or postvention workshop at your organization? Complete the form in the link.
There are many evidence-based trainings, workshops, online learning modules, and resources available to meet the specific needs of behavioral health clinicians, healthcare professionals, and other healthcare workers.
For individuals working for the New York State Office of Mental Health or OASAS-licensed agencies and programs, the Suicide Prevention-Training, Implementation and Evaluation program (SP-TIE) offers many suicide prevention-related trainings through the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) online Learning Management System (LMS).There are several trainings that support the Assess, Intervene, and Monitor (AIM) model of suicide-safer care, as well as trainings on additional topics related to suicide prevention. All trainings offer a certificate of completion, and the majority offer Continuing Education credits for NYS Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors, and medical professionals. Access to these trainings is currently restricted to individuals working for OMH/OASAS-licensed agencies or for agencies participating in New York State grants or special projects and requires the agency to be registered in the CPI LMS.
For individuals already registered in CPI LMS, please visit – https://practiceinnovations.org/initiatives/suicide-prevention/training/full-list-of-sp-tie-trainings
For more information about registering and accessing the CPI LMS, please visit – https://practiceinnovations.org/initiatives/suicide-prevention/training
You can also email cpihelp@nyspi.columbia.edu for questions regarding access.
These two very brief videos, developed by Dr. David Lowenthal at the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, provide an overview of lethal means reduction counseling.
Intended Audience: These videos are intended for any health provider who engages in safety planning with individuals at risk for suicide, as well as supervisors and managers who want to familiarize themselves with this topic.
Visit the list of Suicide Prevention Training Resources for Clinical Providers for additional suicide prevention-related trainings for behavioral health and health care workers.
Community Gatekeeper and Brief Intervention Trainings
Gatekeeper trainings are delivered in communities across New York State. A gatekeeper is someone who is strategically positioned to help those at risk for suicide. Gatekeepers can be anyone and may include teachers, doctors, nurses, family, friends, clergy, police officers, colleagues, and firefighters. Browse the list below to find a training that best meets your needs.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
ASIST is a two-day practice-dominated course to help caregivers learn to recognize and review risk, and to intervene to prevent imminent risk of suicide. Fifteen contact hours are available for Social Workers, and Licensed Mental Health Counselors.
Suicide Alertness For Everyone-Tell Ask Listen Keepsafe (SafeTALK)
SafeTALK is a half-day alertness training that prepares anyone 15 or older, regardless of prior experience or training, to recognize warning signs, effectively communicate with individuals who are thinking about suicide, and connect them with life-saving intervention resources. Three contact hours are available for Social Workers, and Licensed Mental Health Counselors.
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR)
QPR is a one-hour training that instructs participants to recognize the signs of a suicidal crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Similar to CPR, an emergency medical intervention, QPR is an emergency mental health intervention.
In 60 minutes, you will learn:
How to access the QPR Training:
Below is a full menu of professional development and training opportunities designed to meet the suicide prevention needs of school staff and community members.
Creating Suicide Safety in School
This full day (six hours) workshop is designed to assist school administrators, school-based mental health and health professionals, school safety staff, and school counselors with planning suicide prevention activities. Sometimes board members, teachers, and parents attend; it is ideal to include members of the school community who are vested in assessing current prevention and response readiness and providing recommendations for improvements. Implementation teams come together to spend the day learning about suicide and best practices in prevention. Small and large group discussions facilitate the development of a customized action plan.
Suicide Safety for Teachers and School Staff
This 60- to 90-minute training is designed to meet the basic needs of school administration, faculty, and staff. Emphasis is on recognizing warning signs, clarifying the referral process in place at school, and making a warm handoff.
Helping Students at Risk for Suicide
The focus of this full day (six hours; administrative overview is two hours) workshop is to incorporate the process of assessing, intervening, safety planning, and following up when there is concern that a student may be at-risk for suicide. This training is suitable for school-based health, mental health, pupil services, school safety professionals, administrators, special education, and pupil services administrators. The goals are two-fold: 1) to improve the competence and confidence of school-based professionals to intervene when suicide risk is identified, and 2) to assist school leaders with developing standardized policies and procedures to support best practices in suicide intervention.
In Their Shoes – A Community-Based Suicide Prevention Training
In Their Shoes is a two-hour community-based suicide prevention training that helps adults understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth and the power of adult acceptance, through building empathy and developing skills to support them.
By the end of the training, you’ll be able to
Who should attend?
This training is for any adult who supports youth, whether personally or professionally, including:
Faith communities are a natural setting for suicide prevention. Spiritual beliefs and practices help people experience greater hope and meaning in their lives. Especially at times of increased isolation and anxiety, faith community leaders have an important role to play.
SPCNY is offering free, online training for Christian Faith Leaders of all denominations.
Learn about LivingWorks Faith training
Request a Faith training: SPCNY.Training@omh.ny.gov
SPCNY can provide communities and organizations with workshops on the basics of postvention and how to develop a coordinated postvention response for your community or organization. SPCNY can also provide consultation and tailored workshops for school- and community-related suicide prevention content that fits your specific needs. For any questions about SPCNY’s trainings and workshops, please email SPCNY.Training@omh.ny.gov.
