Trainings & Certifications

ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

Attending this two-day course will train you to intervene with an individual who is thinking about suicide.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day training in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants don’t need any formal training to attend the workshop—anyone 18 or older can learn and use the ASIST model.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Over the course of their two-day in-person training, ASIST participants learn to:

recognize that caregivers and people are affected by personal and societal attitudes about suicide;
provide life-assisting guidance to a person thinking about suicide in a flexible manner;
identify what needs to be included in a plan for safety for a person thinking about suicide;
demonstrate the skills required to provide suicide first aid to a person thinking about suicide;
appreciate the value of improving community resources including the way that they work together; and,
recognize that suicide prevention is broader than suicide intervention and includes life promotion and self care for people thinking about suicide, and for caregivers.

PLEASE NOTE:
- Attendees are required to fully attend and participate in the two-day in-person training from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to receive their certificate (ie. arrive on time, stay until each day is over, return after the breaks provided, etc.).
- This training is not recommended for people who have had a recent loss of a loved one by suicide. Ability to verbalize role-play statements regarding suicide is required.

ASIST, normally $300 per person in community, will be FREE to currently registered students, faculty, and staff. However, participants may be subject to a fee if they no-show, late-cancel, or only attend one of the two days.

CERTIFICATE AND ACCREDITATION

All participants who complete the course (14 hours of instruction time) will receive a certificate of participation.

ASIST is recognized by Canadian Accreditation Council Of Human Services (CACOHS) and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). Participants who have a current ASIST certificate can obtain 14 hours of Category A professional development credits. If you do not belong to ASWB, please check with your professional association to see if this training is eligible for continuing education/professional development credits.

Next training date: February 20 & 21, 2025.

To be added to the general waitlist for future dates:

U of L Staff, Faculty, currently registered students (internal) : email counselling.services@uleth.ca
Alumni, community members, and for dates and locations offered in other cities (external) : click here

MHFA: Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a two part training via Zoom. Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate treatment is found or until the crisis is resolved. This two-part training program aims to improve mental health literacy and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend, or a colleague. Participants are provided with a certificate of completion following the training. Participants will learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis and encourage that person to:

Talk about declines in their mental well-being
Discuss professional and other supports that could help with recovery to improved mental well-being
Reach out to these support
Assist in a mental health or substance use crisis
Use MHFA actions to maintain one’s own mental well-being

*Only 15 spots are available per training.

** Training is FREE and available to U of L staff, faculty, and currently registered students (normally $300 in-community). Participants may be subject to a fee if they no-show, late-cancel, or only attend part of the one day training.

**More information on MHFA can be found at the bottom of this page.

MHFA Training Process and Requirements:

Part One: We email all registrants a personalized code to complete Module 1 two weeks prior to the live Zoom training. Module 1 is a self-guided online training that must be completed before continuing with part two, the live training on the date noted below. Module 1 takes two to four hours on average to complete and can be done at your convenience prior to the virtual training; however, it must be completed at least one day before the full day training (Part Two). Participants must email us the certification received after finishing module one to verify completion. ** The personalized code costs Counselling Services $75 per code. If the code is used and the registrant does not complete Module 1 or does not attend Part Two, a $75 fee will be billed to their U of L account.

Part Two: The LIVE one-day training (9am-4pm) is offered via zoom on date noted below. The zoom link will be emailed one day before the live training to those who successfully complete Module 1. Please be aware that active participation (cameras must be on) is required in the virtual training to receive your certificate. Please avoid commuting, multitasking work, or other forms of distraction during the training. You will receive a MHFA Certificate of Completion following the training.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the support provided to a person who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis.

Next Training Date: December 11, 2024.

Next Training Date: February 19, 2025.

To register or to be added to the general waitlist, please email: counselling.services@uleth.ca

safeTALK: Suicide Alertness for Everyone

Join us for a half day, in person workshop, where you will learn the signs and how to get help for someone at risk of suicide. All registered students, staff and faculty are eligible for free this free training. You will learn:

to move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss, or avoid suicide
to identify people who are having thoughts of suicide
to apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and KeepSafe) to connect a person with thoughts of suicide to suicide first aid intervention caregivers.

No upcoming trainings scheduled at this time.

Email counselling.services@uleth.ca to be added to a waitlist.

The Inquiring Mind Post Secondary (TIM PS)

The Inquiring Mind post Secondary covers three main components: stigma reduction, resiliency skills, and the Mental Health Continuum Model. The Mental Health Continuum Model re-conceptualizes how one thinks and talks about mental health by categorizing signs and indicators of good to poor mental health under a four-colour continuum: green (healthy), yellow (reacting), orange (injured), and red (ill). The goals of the 4 hour training are to:

reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards those struggling with poor mental health
help participants maintain mental health and improve resilience and coping strategies
teach participants about the Mental Health Continuum Model
foster a supportive campus community
support others

Next training date: February 18th, 2025 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Email counselling.services@uleth.ca to register.

Understanding & Responding to Sexual Violence Workshop

This 45 minute E-learning workshop provides an overview of different forms of sexual violence, defines consent, explains how to support individuals who have been affected by sexual violence, and gives practical information on sexual violence prevention. This unique E-learning was created by the Sexual Violence Prevention Educator to allow for a more accessible online experience , for individuals who want learn about the complexities and nuances of sexual violence. This training is offered to anyone who is apart of the University of Lethbridge community, upon completion you will receive a participation certificate.

If you want to take this training please click here.

More Information on Mental Health First Aid

What is Mental Health First Aid Canada?

One in three Canadians will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life. The earlier a problem is detected and treated, the better the outcome. Mental Health First Aid Canada gives people the skills to provide that early help that is so important in recovery. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate treatment is found or until the crisis is resolved. The MHFA Canada program aims to improve mental health literacy and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague.

The program does not teach people how to be therapists. It does teach people how to:

Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health problems.
Provide initial help.
Guide a person towards appropriate professional help.

MHFA shares the same overall purpose as traditional first aid – to save lives. It aims to:

Preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves or others.
Provide help to prevent the mental health problem from developing into a more serious state.
Promote the recovery of good mental health.
Provide comfort to a person experiencing a mental health problem.

For more information, please visit Mental Health First Aid Canada.

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