Addressing the unique health and wellness needs of first responders is crucial. Exposure to potentially traumatic events day in and day out can lead to serious mental health concerns, relationship problems, substance misuse, job performance difficulties, and even suicide. The NC Responder Assistance Initiative (RAI) is actively tackling these challenges by providing support to first responders statewide. A key component of their strategy is training peers to recognize suicidal thoughts and intervene effectively.
RAI identified the LivingWorks framework for suicide prevention, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), as a beneficial model to pursue, specifically their 5-day training for trainers (T4T). This training equips experienced educators, leaders, and presenters with the skills needed to deliver the ASIST workshop. The peers selected for this training are active or retired public safety professionals who have completed the ICISF’s Critical Incident Stress Management courses and who have extensive experience facilitating trainings, providing peer support, and debriefings following critical incidents
RAI Director Chad F. Jordan highlights that “ASIST is a gold standard, research-backed, evidence-based approach for suicide prevention.” The goal of the T4T course is to increase capacity by certifying 21 peer trainers who can offer the 2-day ASIST workshop free of charge to first responders throughout the state. This initiative aims to help responders identify when their peers are in crisis and ensure they receive necessary support.
LivingWorks, with 40 years of experience and World Health Organization (WHO) approval, employs proven suicide prevention techniques. Their data shows that participants in the ASIST training often perform at least one or more suicide intervention within six months of training.
The recent training included representatives from various agencies including the NC Department of Adult Corrections, NC State Bureau of Investigation, NC State Parks, Western NC Peer Support Network, Emergency Flight Nurses, and Sheriff’s Offices of Cumberland, New Hanover, and Wake counties.