Suicide Prevention Training

Helping people at risk of suicide

Community Gatekeeper training is designed to help make BC communities safer – and help save lives – by preparing key members of every community with skills to help people who are at risk of suicide.

Community Gatekeepers are people who have been trained to recognize when someone could be at risk of suicide, talk with them, help keep them safe, and connect them to community supports and resources.

They are trusted community members who often hold a position of responsibility in the community such as first responders, HR professionals, community service providers, Elders and spiritual leaders, coaches, teachers and others, and have regular contact with many adults or older adults.

Community Gatekeeper training follows curriculum shown to be effective at increasing knowledge, skill and willingness to intervene, as well as helping reduce the risk of suicide. Two levels of training are available:

• safeTALK – a basic half-day workshop for anyone to help recognize a person who might be at risk and help connect them to life-saving community supports and resources
• ASIST – a two-day practice-focused workshop in suicide intervention and personal safety planning

Community Gatekeeper training is being offered across BC on a fee-for-service basis.

To learn more about bringing Community Gatekeeper training to your community or workplace, please contact Shannon Hecker at 250-832-8477 / 250-253-5054 or shannon hecker@cmha.bc.ca.

Learn more:

• View the Community Gatekeeper brochure
• View the Community Gatekeeper flyer
• Download the safeTALK flyer half-day training info sheet
• Download the ASIST two-day training info sheet

Community Gatekeeper training follows curriculum developed by LivingWorks Education. Funding provided by the BC Ministry of Health.