We’ve Got Your Six

AT SEA

06.03.2018

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kiana Raines 

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)           

According to Navy Personnel Command in 2017, 66 Sailors died by suicide, and this year to date there have been 28 fatalities as a result of suicide.
The safeTALK and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) courses are programs dedicated to preventing death by suicide by educating Sailors in the detection and prevention of suicide.
During the safeTALK course, participants learn how to confidently identify signs that a person may be suicidal and how to utilize the resources available in order for them to connect that person with a trained professional.
“The safeTALK class places participants in different scenarios and teaches them to recognize signs that someone may be suicidal, as well as getting them comfortable with asking directly about suicide,” said Lt. Cmdr David Kim, a command chaplain onboard USS Gerald R. Ford.(CVN 78) “We’re responsible for keeping our shipmates safe and for providing forceful backup. We need to look out for each other. You shouldn’t be worried about being nosey or asking hard questions. Asking questions is usually all it takes to get somebody the help they need.”
ASIST offers a two-day interactive course where participants learn risk factors and warning signs for suicide and how to intervene and prevent the immediate risk of death.
“ASIST is designed to teach skills that enable an adult to competently and confidently intervene with a person at risk for suicide,” said Chief Religious Programs Specialist Patricia Hernandez, assigned to Ford’s command religious ministries department. “It is a two-day interactive workshop 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.”
Sailors who attend the course view it as value-added to help support and keep their shipmates safe.
Hernandez said, Sailors who attend this training, to include myself, reported learning to directly ask about suicide, as well as effective communication techniques, such as; active listening, building rapport and employing a non-judgmental approach to the topic of suicide.

Both programs offer a T4T (Training for Trainers) course that teaches participants the skills taught in introductory courses, as well as how to train others in those very same techniques so that they, in turn, can go back to their commands and teach others.
SafeTALK and ASIST workshops are open to all servicemembers. For more information and how to register, ask your command chaplain or call the CREDO Office at [phone].

• Date Taken: 06.03.2018
• Date Posted: 06.03.2018 22:34
• Story ID: 279419
• Location: AT SEA