Suicide Prevention Community Helper Training

VitalCog Suicide Prevention Training

One example of "community helper training" is the VitalCog Suicide Prevention training (previously called Working Minds). This methodology teaches people what some of the warning signs and risk factors are and shares a highly researched suicide risk model ¹ to illuminate why some people might be more at risk than others.

This model, known as the interpersonal-psychological approach, helps to understand what contributes to lethal suicidal behavior and how feeling like a burden and profoundly alone contributes to despair. Trainees then practice conversations related to expressing concern, connecting with compassion, and empowering others to take action to save their own lives.

Evaluation of the VitalCog training has demonstrated a strong social return on investment—for every dollar invested in VitalCog, between $7.40 and $33.20 is returned to society. After the training, participants have shown statistically significant gains in their ability to identify warning signs and level of comfort in talking with someone about suicide.

Reasons Community Helpers Can Help

Here are nine reasons why a workplace "community helper" (also known as Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper) training can fill the gap.

• Proximity. A "community helper" is someone who has regular face-to-face contact and is in a position to notice changes in someone's attitude, behavior, or life circumstance. Mental health providers are too removed—often spending most of their day helping people behind closed doors. Having people with "eyes on the playing field" increases the odds that some of the reluctant help seekers may be noticed should their behavior change due to suicidal distress.
• Action-oriented. Community helper trainings, not just "awareness building" only, empower people to take action by starting compassionate conversations and connecting people to the right resources. The behavioral rehearsal aspect of the training, where people role-play the skills, drives a "muscle memory" for taking specific steps to support a distressed peer.
• Shared norms. Community helpers are able to meet people where they are because they share a common work culture, social norms, and work language. The capacity for connection, therefore, is heightened when meaningful experiences are shared.
• Short and simple. Like CPR, community helper trainings are designed to be simple tools that everyday people can use to sustain a person's life until the next level of care arrives. Trainees build skills on what to notice, how to start a conversation, how to ask a direct question about suicide, and how to be a warm bridge to vetted resources, like the EAP or 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. These trainings are usually delivered in 1–3 hours and can be taught as part of a "lunch and learn" or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 30 elective.
• Scalable. Most established community helper trainings have train-the-trainer models that allow workplaces to train their own staff to deliver the training. Many large organizations, like the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, Gilbane Building Company, and Associated Builders and Contractors, are doing just this with the VitalCog program. The opportunity to build internal capacity for this program by certifying facilitators means the training becomes very cost-effective and sustainable quickly.
• Reinforces a culture of care. Mental health is taken more seriously when workers see their employer demonstrate commitment through training (especially when the leaders go first and take it themselves). Over time, this sustained commitment reinforces a culture of "this is just what we do around here—we look out for one another."
• Extends beyond the workplace. Employees are also parents, partners, caregivers, and friends to many other people outside of work. The helper skills learned at work can be used anywhere, widening the network of support in communities.
• Bake into safety and leadership skill development. Leaders often want to help; they just don't know what is "okay" to say and do when it comes to something so daunting as suicide. When feeling underprepared or fearing they will overstep their role, leaders tend to avoid the issue altogether, and people at risk may fall through the cracks. Baking this training into other safety or leadership curricula lets employees know these issues are interwoven.
• Align with national guidelines and industry standards. Employers who use community helper trainings, such as VitalCog, demonstrate compliance with the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention and evolving expectations related to OSHA, ISO 45003, and "Total Worker Health" initiatives.

Conclusion

Organizations that integrate community helper training like VitalCog into their mental health initiatives stand out as innovators that really care about their people. Emerging leaders are especially keen to work for an employer that demonstrates this level of authentic care. The peer-to-peer approach strengthens a sense of belonging and community resilience that bolsters the organization's ability to weather tough times. It's both good business and the right thing to do.