START: Suicide Intervention Training

Since the last General Convention the Department of Faith Formation staff of The Episcopal Church have been convening a working group to address the Suicide Prevention initiative named and funded in resolution GC#2018-C014. We are now on the second wave of recruiting training participants as we enter a new year in the midst of pandemic. Suicide attempts are up and it is an urgent matter. We hope you can and will help by taking this training.

Intentions and Expectations

As you engage this training, please keep in mind that this is being offered as an introductory course, a quick-start intended to help participants recognize when a person is considering suicide and take quick action to get them help and support. Our hope is that this course will spark conversation and consideration about ways communities can go deeper to contextualize the learnings and begin to address issues that may be underlying increasing mental health conditions and suicidal ideation.

Training

We have contracted with LivingWorks for 1000 enrollments in their LivingWorks Start training. We are offering this training free of charge to folks who work with individuals in our highest risk communities, including LGBTQ+, BIPOC, veterans, youth, and young adults. If you know anyone you would like for us to include as we implement this initiative, please email David Stickley for more information..

If you have not already signed up and would like to take this free training, click here to register. If you have already registered you have 60 days to complete the training.

Resource Curation

We have compiled an extensive but not exhaustive curated resource list on our website. The updated version is here: https://episcopalchurch.org/faith-formation/mental-health.

We look forward to your participation, appreciate you feedback, and remain grateful for your partnership in ministry with young adults across the church and in our communities. Thank you for your prayerful consideration and your action. Together wan can make a difference in the lives of many.