Choose Life is nominated for National Training Award
Tuesday, November 20 2007
A training programme being rolled out by Choose Life, which has provided more than 250 people in Borders with the skills to spot the signs of suicide, has been shortlisted for a National Training Award.
ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is an intensive two-day workshop that aims to give people the confidence and practical skills to recognise the risk of suicide and signpost the person to appropriate help and support.
In the Scottish Borders, police, social workers, nursing staff, teachers, staff from voluntary organisations and members of the public have taken part in the training.
Choose Life Development Officer for the Borders, Haylis Mackay, said: “ASIST is innovative as it encourages open and honest talk about a subject that has traditionally been regarded as taboo. By talking and encouraging people to seek help, any one of us can help to prevent people from reaching that point of despair”.
The National Training Awards, managed by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, will be presented in Glasgow on Thursday (22 November). The event will recognise trainers in the Borders who are part of a network that has delivered the course to more than 11,000 people across Scotland.
Choose Life offers a range of training opportunities for anyone with an interest in preventing suicide. Many courses are free. For more information visit www.chooselife.net or contact Haylis Mackay at hmackay@scotborders.gov.uk
If you are feeling suicidal or suspect that someone you care about is considering suicide, there are a number of helplines to contact:
Childline: 0800 11 11; Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90; Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87 (6p.m. – 2a.m.)
Unified Solutions.