Suicide Speaks:
Death Agency as Racial Justice and Community Care Training
It’s time for a radical shift in Suicide Prevention.
To fully comprehend the issue of suicide, it is necessary to recognize the systemic factors that contribute to it. This involves looking beyond individual-level explanations of suicide, such as mental illness, and considering the broader social, economic, and political structures that lead to despair and hopelessness.
In this two-day training, we begin to understand the concept of suicide as a multifaceted social justice issue and redefine the concept of mental health as a sociocultural and systemic factor. We also learn skills, strategies, and interruptors to practice our support offering with an anti-oppressive, culturally humble, and compassionate lens.
By the end of day 1, participants will have:
- Distinguished the definitions of suicide as defined by psychiatry and those defined by social justice.
- Explored the complex intersections of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and other identities in relation to mental health experiences.
- Categorized their personal level of comfort and understanding regarding the multiple meanings behind the words “I am Suicidal.”
- Differentiated the various levels or stages of suicidality.
By the end of day 2, participants will have:
- Examined the abusive values that influence perceptions of safety and risk in mental health contexts.
- Labeled five characteristics of white supremacy culture within both interpersonal and systemic crisis responses.
- Practiced verbal strategies aimed at dismantling white supremacy culture characteristics within interpersonal crisis responses.
- Developed skills to manage emotional intensity and establish appropriate boundaries during support interactions.
Photography by PaperCity Photography
Training Logistics
Population: For therapists, social services providers, health care professionals, educators, high schoolers, college students, higher education staff.
Capacity: Up to 40 participants max is ideal.
Delivery: This is a 6 hour virtual or in-person training spread across two days (3 hours per day).
Cost: $6000 for virtual version or $7000 for in-person version.
[I learned] that suicide can be talked about candidly, without judgment, and without panicking…it was a very healing training for me and I wasn’t expecting that, and it gave me concrete tools to talk to others that I found matched up with my values and were very helpful.
I think the presenter’s own experience, shared without any stigma, shame, or fear (and even shared with humor and passion), brought the presentation alive. And the examples of how to ask the question “Are you thinking of suicide” were impactful and something I will take away.
Usually, I really struggle at suicide/trauma-themed trainings, and often I leave feeling really really down. The facilitator did an amazing job modeling validation while answering questions. I felt understood and heard without even having to say anything. Thanks for bringing the real-ness! I was given tools AND a new mindset to use in a hard situation.
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