How helpful is ASIST suicide prevention training?

CH (MAJ) William Beaver — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 12:52:22 -0400

I am an instructor of the Applied Suicide Intervention Training program in the Army. We carry the ACE cards, but ASIST is a two-day training provided by the Livingworks Corporation. Have you taken ASIST? What was your experience? Was it useful to you? Have you been able to use any of what you learned? Or was it another 'check the block' training?

Response by SSG Michael Hathaway made Mar 31 at 2016 9:17 AM

SSG Michael Hathaway — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 09:17:36 -0400

I wish I would have seen this earlier, but a late response is better than no response.

My leadership last year made it mandatory for my company's medical section to attend the ASIST training last year. I found it a lot more helpful than the standard annual suicide prevention training. In fact, I personally would love it if ASIST became mandatory annual training; particularly for leadership and support staff like medics. I observed that there was more participation especially with the role playing, Q&A, and the actual slides. Maybe it was my class, we had less than a dozen people in it. The instructors were knowledgeable and kept both the pace and motivation of the class. I think since we had a small class, and the instructors made it necessary for everyone to participate, we all learned something. Being a survivor of depression and ideation myself, it was difficult role-playing both sides (suicidal soldier and intervener), but in the end it helped a lot. Now I am running a medical section in a different unit and have utilized the ASIST training to help a few soldiers.