Essential Information for safeTALK T4T Sponsors

Thank you for your interest in bringing safeTALK Training for Trainers (T4T) to your organization or community. LivingWorks Education is committed to maintaining the quality of our programs and trainers. Your help is essential. Unless stated otherwise in writing, we assume that you are committed to the following standards.

Who is eligible to become a safeTALK trainer?

The T4T is only open to candidates who:

• have completed a two-day ASIST workshop;
• are skilled presenters;
• have good group facilitation skills;
• are committed to promoting suicide safety through open and direct talk about suicide;
• if they want to customize their presentation, are proficient with a computer;
• have high-speed internet access; and,
• complete, sign and submit a joint candidate and employer, when applicable, safeTALK T4T Application.

Estimated minimum investment

In total, new trainers need approximately two and one-half days of initial training plus another two days for preparation and review of their first three safeTALK trainings. New trainers who have access to this amount of time and who do their first three safeTALKs quickly after completing the initial training are likely to repay the investment you make in them, and they make in themselves, many times over.

Soon after completion of the T4T, each candidate receives a feedback letter, copied to the sponsor where applicable, with recommendations. You should know that in instances where it is apparent to the instructor that significant additional preparation or support is needed, the candidate may be required to purchase mentoring from LivingWorks in order to become a safeTALK trainer. The additional cost may be borne by you or the candidate, at your discretion. In rare instances, we may recommend that a trainer candidate reconsider their decision to become a trainer, in which case the trainer materials must be returned to LivingWorks.

Two formats of T4T

There are two formats of the initial training: a one-day with pre-study work and a two-day where time for the pre-study work is built into the two days.

One-Day T4T with Pre-Study

The pre-study for the one-day T4T includes:

• an opportunity to observe a video of a safeTALK being presented;
• sufficient time (about a day and half) to investigate the design of safeTALK and to prepare to present half of safeTALK at the formal T4T.

The formal day of the one-day T4T includes:

• an annotated walk-through of safeTALK with an emphasis upon its design;
• candidate presentation of portions of the part of safeTALK they prepared.

Logistical requirements: full candidate registration including email contact information required four weeks prior to the T4T date.

Two-Day T4T

The first day of the two-day format includes:

• an opportunity to observe and participate in a safeTALK;
• afternoon and evening time to investigate the design of safeTALK and to prepare to present half of safeTALK on day two.

The second day of the two-day format includes:

• an annotated walk-through of safeTALK with an emphasis upon its design;
• candidate presentation of portions of the part of safeTALK they prepared.

Logistical requirements: full candidate registration including email contact information required one week prior to the T4T date.

Which T4T is best for you?

The price of both formats of the T4T is based upon a maximum of ten candidates. The T4T can accommodate as few as six candidates but, except for the safeTALK trainer materials, the price remains the same. On average, the price for the two-day T4T is less than 30 percent higher than the price of the one-day with pre-study.

Organizing a two-day safeTALK is more straightforward than organizing the one-day with pre-study. In the two-day format, the initial safeTALK should be an actual safeTALK in which you can add between 15 and 20 participants from the community to the six to ten trainer candidates. This can help to defray some expenses.

There are special rules and procedures for the one-day with pre-study. We need accurate email addresses four weeks in advance of the T4T to give reasonable hope that candidates can complete their pre-study work. You can substitute up to two candidates before 12 days out from the T4T. After day 12, no new candidates can be added. Organizers may experience tension between the desire to train the maximum number of candidates and these requirements. That tension is misleading. A one-day T4T with pre-study that does not meet these requirements does not work: mentoring is often required and the investment made in the trainers often unrealized.

Other than direct costs, the main difference between the two formats is the location of the preparation work: offsite for pre-study or onsite for the two-day. When you doubt that you can meet the extra organizing obligations of the one-day with pre-study format or you doubt the candidates can or will make use of the approximately one and half days of pre-study time they need, choose the two-day format.

See safeTALK Pricing for more information.