Workshop boosts suicide awareness

A number of community partners — including Lassen County Health and Human Services, Lassen County Behavioral Health, the Lassen County Office of Education and Lassen High School — present a suicide awareness workshop from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28 at the Lassen High School Library.

The workshop, called safeTALK is for anyone and everyone interested in helping others in the community.

According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, the safe of safeTALK stands for suicide alertness for everyone. The TALK letters stand for the practice actions that one does to help those with thoughts of suicide: tell, ask, listen and keep safe. The program teaches participants to recognize and engage persons who might be having thoughts of suicide and to connect them with community resources trained in suicide intervention. SafeTALK stresses safety while challenging taboos that inhibit open talk about suicide.

Participants will learn to be suicide alert helpers; to be aware that opportunities to help a person with thoughts of suicide are sometimes missed, dismissed or avoided; to use the TALK steps and activate a suicide alert; and as part of the keep safe step, find out how and where to connect those with thoughts of suicide with trained helpers.

Nicole Lamica will be the presenter. If you plan to attend the workshop, the organizers ask you to RSVP Corrine Reed at 251-8355.