ASIST Training: 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 1-2 at the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center
EAGLE BUTTE, SD (May 17, 2012) – On Friday and Saturday, June 1-2, the Cheyenne River Youth Project® is inviting members of the Cheyenne River community to attend a free two-day suicide prevention workshop. Called ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), the workshop is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention.
Presented by Four Bands Healing Center, the ASIST training will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 1 and 2 at CRYP’s Cokata Wiconi Teen Center. It is open free to the public, and community members ages 18 and up are welcome to attend.
ASIST is the most widely used suicide-intervention skills training program used in the United States. This workshop is designed to provide participants with the necessary attitudes, knowledge and skills to recognize those at risk and to undertake appropriate management or referral of a person who is at risk of suicide.
“Suicide and nonfatal suicide behaviors, from gestures to attempts, are far more common than most people think,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director. In June 2005, in the wake of a shocking string of suicides and suicide attempts among Cheyenne River’s teens, Garreau testified at the United States Senate Indian Affairs Committee’s Hearing on Youth Suicide Prevention in Washington, D.C.
“Almost everyone will come into contact with suicidal behaviors in some significant way, particularly in Indian Country,” she continued. “Many people have been trained to administer first aid, but few know ‘emergency first aid’ for preventing suicide.”
The two-day workshop will deal directly with attitudes about suicide prevention, and participants will learn how to recognize those most at risk. Major indicators include: sudden changes in behavior or personality; feelings of desperation, helplessness, hopelessness, aloneness, loss and depression; a previous suicide attempt; and, most importantly, statements expressing a desire or intention to die.
“One of the most important skills to have is to ask directly about the intentions of someone you’re worried about,” Garreau said. “In the workshop, we’ll learn how to do that. In fact, on the second day, we’ll focus on skill development exercises and community networking activities.”
CRYP encourages Cheyenne River community members to consider attending the ASIST training on June 1-2. Space is limited to 16 participants per session, so please reserve your spot by May 24. Call Megan Guiliano, youth programs director, at 605-964-8200 or send email to megan.cryp@gmail.com.
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project® and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, visit the youth project’s Facebook “Cause” page. All Cause members will receive regular updates through Facebook.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project®, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.