Posted at 1:31 a.m., Friday, August 3, 2007
Suicide prevention workshops offered
Advertiser Staff
With suicide being the second-leading cause of injury death in Hawaii, the state Department of Health, Suicide Prevention Task Force and Hawaii S.P.E.A.R. Foundation of America are conducting suicide prevention workshops on O'ahu, the Big Island and Maui.The training is geared to "gatekeepers" or those who may be in contact with suicidal individuals and anyone interested in learning how to prevent suicides.
Called Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), the two-day training prepares individuals to recognize and assess the risk of those in crisis. Workshop participants will learn to provide suicide prevention first-aid, thus minimizing the suicide risk. The workshop will also cover information and resources to give to those "at risk."
DOH statistics show that 128 people commit suicide in Hawaii each year, about one every three days, and another 870 are hospitalized after attempting to take their own lives.
The workshops will be at the following times and locations.
Participants must register and pay in advance and commit two full days (7:30 am to 4:30 pm) for the workshops, the DOH said. For registration and cost information, call 734-9256 (Kapiolani Community College). Information is also posted on the DOH Web site at www.hawaii.gov/health and www.nogethurt.hawaii.gov.
