A Framework for "Exploring Invitations", ASIST in New Zealand
1. A framework for ‘exploring invitations’
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
(ASIST) in NZ
Nettie Cullen
nettiecullen@maxnet.co.nz
2. About Livingworks
Vision:
“Enhancing resources today and
saving lives for tomorrow.”
Mission:
Creating learning experiences that
help communities prevent suicide.
4. Foundational challenges
The needs of all caregivers
Wide acceptance & dissemination
Quality control
5. Domains of Learning in ASIST
(1) Attitudes:
Experiences with suicide and attitudes toward it
are part of what people bring to intervention
opportunities and self-awareness about this is
important to good intervention practice.
6. Domains of Learning in ASIST
(2) Knowledge:
Understanding what lies behind thoughts of
suicide, and what links persons to living despite
these thoughts, informs the assessment of their
current risk and the development of a specific
plan to increase immediate safety.
LivingWorks Education has been developing and disseminating suicide intervention training programs since 1983. Originating in Alberta, Canada, the program is now widely available in Australia, the USA, Norway, the United Kingdom, and since 2004 in New Zealand. Vision is “Enhancing resources today and saving lives for tomorrow” Investing in communities with locally based training resources – aims to have all the benefits of local resources plus the advantages of a central agency dedicated to quality.
LivingWorks builds learning experiences through developmental research, using Rothman’s social R & D framework (Rothman, 1980). Developmental research is one of three major research methods: basic research to generate knowledge; developmental research to transform generated knowledge into program applications; and evaluation research to measure outcome and impact results. LivingWorks’ first suicide intervention training program responded to a need to make the growing body of suicide intervention theory and practice knowledge accessible to caregivers (Ramsay, Cooke and Lang, 1990).
The project was challenged with the task of developing suicide intervention training for a diverse range of community caregivers likely to be in contact with persons at risk of suicidal behaviours. And that it would be widely disseminated. Two kinds of caregivers were needed: ‘designated’ - those professionally trained and expected to have skills to help someone at risk of suicide, and ‘emergent’ - those accessible and often selected by persons at risk but not viewing themselves suicide intervention helpers. Three core questions focused the challenge of transforming existing knowledge to meet the training needs of individuals in these caregiver groups. Could a standardised curriculum be developed to meet the needs of all caregivers? Could a standardised curriculum be widely accepted and disseminated? Would large numbers of trainers observe quality control standards?
Any thoughts of suicide indicates risk – no such thing as a ‘not serious thought of suicide’. Individuals who are at risk will signal their distress
51 workshops since 2004 31 in Auckland the remainder from Kaitaia to Gore. Approx 700 / 750 trained – (Figures are incomplete) Do not have a breakdown for whole number sorry.
cf International comparisons and international outcome studies