NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Family Service Agency of Marin’s North Bay Suicide Prevention (NBSP) Project and the Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance (BASCIA) will host a day-long set of suicide prevention trainings on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in Ukiah.
Among the resources offered will be:
• Training for educators, clergy, cultural, ethnic and LGBTQ counselors, law enforcement and other first responders to learn practical tools to use when working with individuals who are suicidal.
• Workshops for educators, survivor families, the Native American community and a discussion group focused on self-harm, wellness and recovery.
• Ongoing support for organizations to implement suicide prevention strategies locally.
"We want to reach people on the front lines of suicide prevention and give them the best, most current information needed to help people in crisis,” said Amy Faulstich, NBSP project coordinator.
The program, called “Strengthen Your Role in Suicide Prevention,” is one way the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63) is equipping communities to meet Californians’ mental health needs.
The meeting will convene at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 S. School St., from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration is online at www.bascia.org .
“Broad community support is key to the Strengthen Your Role in Suicide Prevention program,” said Paul Muller of BASCIA.
With a suicide in the Mendocino and Lake County area every 10 days, the program has attracted interest from a number of community agencies.
Co-sponsors for the event include Mendocino County Behavioral Health Department, Lake County Behavioral Health Department, Mendocino County Office of Education, Circle of Native Minds Wellness Center, Manzanita Services, Redwood Children's Services, the city of Ukiah, Mendocino College Foster and Kin Care Education Program and Mendocino County Youth Project.
In addition, regional and national organizations working to prevent suicide will offer perspectives on best practices.
Expected to participate are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Bridge Rail Foundation, Veterans Administration and others.
This meeting is part of a quarterly series of gatherings that rotate through a 14 county region that stretches from Mendocino, through the entire Bay Area and south to Monterey. The program will continue through June 2014.
BASCIA is offering the Strengthen Your Role in Suicide Prevention Program in partnership with the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
CalMHSA’s Suicide Prevention program is funded by Prop. 63 and is one of the agency’s several Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives. CalMHSA operates services and education programs on a statewide, regional and local basis.
For more information, visit www.calmhsa.org .