2010 Louisiana Professional School Counselor’s Conference Mary Lanier LeJeune

 Prevention  Intervention  Postvention

 Connecting  Invitations – EXPLORE  Suicide - ASK  Understanding  Reasons – LISTEN  Risk - REVIEW  Assisting  Safeplan – CONTRACT  Commitments – FOLLOW-UP

 Groups  Events  Reactions ANYBODY with LOSS experiencing HOPELESSNESS or DESPERATION

 Actions  Thoughts  Feelings  Physical STRESSFUL EVENTS with FEELINGS OF LOSS

 Ask about thoughts of suicide  Listen to the reasons for dying AND for living  Reasons for dying – what does it mean to the person at the time  Reasons for living  internally: feelings, beliefs, attitudes  externally: resource people, support system, activities/hobbies, family

 Are you having thoughts of suicide? Current Factors  Current Suicide Plan: How? How prepared? How soon?  Pain: Do you have pain that at times feels unbearable?  Resources: Do you feel like you have few, if any, resources? Background Factors + Prior Suicidal Behavior + Mental Health

 Keep Safe – set a time frame  Safety contacts – minimum of 3  Safe/NO use of alcohol and drugs  Link to resources PURPOSE of the SAFEPLAN  Disable the Suicide Plan  Ease the pain  Link to resources  Protect against danger/ support past skills  Link to health workers

TALK

 Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) LivingWorks Education Inc. livingworks.net  Jasonfoundation.org