[PNWHEALTH] Oregon ASIST T4T

[Donna NOONAN]

Oregon Health Educators,

The deadline for application for the Applied Suicide Intervention
Skills Training (ASIST) Training for Trainers in Oregon is March 31.

About the Training: 
We are looking for people interested in becoming Certified Trainers of
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), the premier
evidence-based program for learning suicide intervention skills. ASIST
was developed in Canada by LivingWorks Education Inc., a
not-for-profit
organization, and the University of Calgary. Over 3000 Oregonians have
been trained in ASIST in the past 5 years. It has been used as part of
suicide prevention efforts in California, Washington, Tennessee,
Virginia, Australia, Norway, Scotland, and the US Air Force and Army.

The T4T is an intensive 5-day course, including some evenings, in
which
you will experience ASIST and then learn how to present it. Trainers
will leave the T4T equipped with a Trainer's Manual, videos, posters,
and all other materials needed to organize and present ASIST
workshops.
Because of the nature of the subject matter and the adult learning
principles upon which ASIST is built, every ASIST requires a minimum
of
two Trainers. Every effort will be made to integrate new Trainers into
the existing network of experienced Trainers throughout Oregon to
support the success of this project.

All of the costs for hosting the T4T are being paid by DHS Health
Services. Continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided
each
day. Your only costs will be those involved in physically being at the
training site (transportation, accommodations), other meals, and
incidentals. DHS Health Services has a limited budget to help
volunteers
attend the T4T who would otherwise not be able to attend.

In return, you will be expected to present ASIST to caregivers in your
local communities. You will be able to charge a fee to recover the
costs
of hosting ASISTs.

This is part of our program to increase the number of people
throughout
Oregon who are trained in intervention skills in the ASIST model. We
expect more qualified people to apply than we will have slots
available.
Our priority will be to identify Trainer Candidates in areas of Oregon
where there are fewer than two Trainers, with a special emphasis on
rural, tribal, and under-served ethnic and geographical populations.

Visit www.livingworks.net and look at the information available under
"T4T." You may also go to http://www.jcmhd.com/suicideprevention.htm#tp

to learn more about previous Oregon ASIST T4Ts, get an idea about what
the training is like, its requirements, commitments, and so on.
 
When: May 9-13, 2005 (yes, a full 5-day commitment!)
Where: Grants Pass, Oregon
Who: People (professionals and nonprofessionals alike) who have an
interest in suicide, have group facilitation and presentation skills,
and are positioned to organize workshops in their local area are
invited
to apply. If you are interested, put the dates on your calendar now.
There hasn't been an ASIST T4T in Oregon since March 2003 and it will
be
some time before there is another.

Contact Gary McConahay, PhD, (mcconahay1 at netscape.net; 541-218-3200) or
myself for more information. Gary, who has 17 years experience with
ASIST and is a Senior Coaching Trainer with LivingWorks, will lead the
T4T.

Donna G. Noonan, MPH, CHES
Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Injury Prevention & Epidemiology Program
800 NE Oregon, Ste 772
Portland, OR 97232
Phone: 503-872-5332
Fax: 503-731-4157 
donna.noonan at state.or.us 
www.dhs.state.or.us/publichealth/ipe/suicide.cfm