Suicide First Aid: Understanding Suicide Intervention

Aims and target audience

The Suicide First Aid through Understanding Suicide Intervention course gives learners the knowledge and tools to understand that suicide is one of the most preventable deaths and some basic skills can help someone with thoughts of suicide stay safe from their thoughts and stay alive.

The course is comprised of 4 parts, each 90 minutes duration, delivered virtually. The programme teaches and practices the skills and knowledge needed to identify someone who may be thinking about suicide and competently intervene to help create suicide-safety as a first aid approach.

No previous experience or training is necessary. Participants will be asked to self-reflect and empathise with a person having thoughts of suicide. There is no expectation of participants to share their personal experiences.

Learning outcomes

• Suicide behaviour, reasons and magnitude of the community health problem.
• Role of the carer in managing suicide interventions, different roles with different people
• Understand approaches and process of suicide intervention including desired outcomes
• Understand the importance of self-reflection and personal impact when working with suicide and people at risk

Delivery methods and styles

Taught over 3.5 hours using facilitation methods that pose thought-provoking questions to stimulate critical thinking, tutor-led role- play, minilectures, group work and audio-visual presentations. This is a highly interactive and emotionally engaging learning experience. Available online or in-person.

Knowledge and skills required of the trainers

Trainers have completed a 5 day ‘Training For Trainers’ with the National Centre for Suicide Prevention Training

Involvement of people with lived experience

The main audio-visual story in the courses, ‘I’m Really Glad You Told Me’ was a film developed with Jonny Benjamin and Neil Laybourn. This is their story, which has been shared quite openly in previous speaking engagements etc and comes with the core messages which support the training provided in SFA. Interweaved throughout this is another story, written by our team based on personal experience and client work which was consensually shared, about two men called Rob and Steve. Having both of these stories interweaved gives learners a chance to see a real time example of suicide intervention in action, whilst also discussing the benefits of reaching out to help and how this can impact people in the future.

Assessment, CPD credits, certification

The course has been accredited by City & Guilds of London. Upon satisfactory completion of a further assessed module, participants can attain 6 NQF credits at level 4. This is subject to an additional £85 fee payable to C&G. Learners will be provided details of how to register upon course completion.