Q and A for LivingWorks Military Conversation
1. What are you doing back in the United States to promote this training and why is this training so important?
The LivingWorks Offices have been very busy supporting the Army G-1 and IMCOM’s plan for 12 Regional ASIST T4Ts (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training for Trainers) at Army Installations across the US and even Germany and Kuwait. This will certify 288 new ASIST Trainers who will join existing training teams to conduct local suicide intervention workshops.
The training is important because it has been demonstrated to change behavior, an important distinction from programs that just increase knowledge/awareness. ASIST imparts skills that make those trained feel ready, able and willing to intervene with a person they suspect may be at risk for suicide. Having suicide interventionists throughout the ranks is important because it fulfills the overall Army philosophy of initiating care as far forward as possible. Studies have shown that areas with sufficient ASIST Trained personnel have reduced the number of suicides, increased the number of referrals while decreasing the amount of “false positives” (those who are referred by not actually at risk).
2. How do you think it will help military communities and Soldiers prevent suicide?
Just like having more Combat Lifesavers in units is able to provide more immediate, potentially life-saving first aid until the Medics can arrive on the scene, having ASIST Trained personnel puts those with suicide first-aid intervention skills training where they are needed most, where the soldiers (and their spouse) work and those “gatekeepers” who are most likely to come in contact with a person at risk (PAR) for suicide.
It is important to note that ASIST is not counseling or therapy. It does not replace the requirement for follow-up care. What it does, is teach the only Suicide Intervention Model (SIM) that places an emphasis on connecting, understanding and assisting a person at risk for suicide. By allowing a person at risk to talk about their reasons for wanting to die, they feel understood and through these types of discussions, reasons for wanting to live emerge. Those trained in ASIST are taught how to use this ambivalence to point out that the thoughts of wanting to die will put in danger the reasons for living. The SIM also teaches how to identify the risks of dying by suicide and how to take immediate steps to mitigate those risks by protecting the PAR.
3. Any history on program? (When was it created? By who?)
ASIST was developed in the early 1980s through a funding grant in Alberta, Canada. A team of Mental Health Professionals and Professors at the University of Calgary developed ASIST to meet a specific requirement of training laypeople to do immediate suicide intervention – much like the American Red Cross developed CPR to provide on the spot, immediate life-saving skills to the average citizen.
ASIST is now internationally used with close to 1 million people trained.
Coincidentally, V Army CORPS in Germany first introduced ASIST to the US Army in 1990 during Operation DESERT STORM. In fact, the first of 74 US Army Sponsored ASIST T4T that have occurred in the 20-years was conducted for V CORPS in Wiesbaden.
4. Are you also implementing the program at your location? If so how has it worked so far?
ASIST is now being used at every major Army Installation. Recent strategies developed by the Army G-1, aligned with resources also provide by the Army G-1 through IMCOM should enable the Army to train sufficient numbers of suicide interventionists that can make an impact. Anecdotally, we receive numerous reports from trainers that hear stories of lives saved through those they train.
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