Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

How to access this program?

Visit https://livingworks.net/training/livingworks-asist/ to review available training options.

What is the program? 

The Living Works: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day face to face workshop that features audiovisuals, discussions, and simulations. At the ASIST workshop trainees learn how to prevent suicide, provide skilled intervention, and develop a safety plan to keep someone alive. The goal of the training is to help participants to become more ready, willing, and able to assist someone who has thoughts of suicide.  

Who is the program for? 

Anyone 16 years or older can attend an ASIST workshop. While no formal professional training is necessary to attend the trainings, providers and mental health professionals are the most common audiences for the ASIST workshops.  

How is this program implemented? 

The ASIST workshops are led by two facilitators over 2 days. The training is required to be in person and cannot be delivered through webinar format. The knowledge and skills learned through ASIST are designed to be applied as suicide first aid and as an intervention for those at risk of suicide.  

What is the practice that is supported? 

A gatekeeper is someone who can recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. Gatekeeper training teaches people to identify individuals who are showing warning signs of suicide risks and help these individuals get the mental health services they need. Gatekeeper training improves the skills, confidence, and willingness to help those in distress. Gatekeeper trainings are for public health information purposes and are not intended to take the place of assessments, screening, diagnoses, or treatment of any mental health issues.   

What outcomes does the program produce? 

• Increase in awareness of suicide warning signs 
• Increase in awareness of resources for help related to suicide risk 
• Increase in student referrals for suicide concern 
• Improve skills, knowledge, and attitudes for suicide prevention and intervention 

What is the evidence? 

Ewell Foster, C. J., Burnside, A. N., Smith, P. K., Kramer, A. C., Wills, A., & A. King, C. (2017). Identification, Response, and Referral of Suicidal Youth Following Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 47(3), 297–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12272 

This study evaluated the ability to identify youth at risk of suicide, respond in a helpful manner, and referrals of youth for services of  434 participants after receiving ASIST training. The results comparing data from a pretraining and a 6–9-month post-training follow up survey show that trainees improved their ability to identify, respond and refer youth at risk of suicide.  

Condron, Susan. (2015) Identifying and Referring Youths at Risk for Suicide Following Participation in School‐Based Gatekeeper Training—Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior—Wiley Online Library. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/sltb.12142 

Using survey data of over 136,000 individuals (teachers, service providers, parents/caregivers) collected from school-based gatekeeper trainings, this study examined the effectiveness of the trainings to increase knowledge and skills to identify youths at risk of suicide. The results showed that while the knowledge of those in gatekeeper trainings increased, the number of referrals of at-risks youth depended on length of training and time spent with the youth. Additionally, between half and two-thirds of youth identified by trainees were receiving services at the 3 month follow up of training.  

Reis, C., & Cornell, D. (2008). An Evaluation of Suicide Gatekeeper Training for School Counselors and Teachers. Professional School Counseling, 11(6), 2156759X0801100605. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0801100605 

In this study, researchers evaluated the impact of gatekeeper trainings on suicide knowledge and prevention practices among teachers and counselors. Survey results were compared between a group that received gatekeeper training and a control group not receiving training. Results showed that difference in the number of student referrals made between teachers and counselors was smaller in the trainee group than the control group. This study also showed that school staff attending gatekeeper training reported more knowledge of suicide risks factors. 

What are the costs associated with implementing this program? 

Please contact the program for the most recent costs and commitments, as these may change. 

The costs associated with attending an ASIST training vary by location. Registration for scheduled ASIST workshops can be found here https://legacy.livingworks.net/training-and-trainers/find-a-training-workshop/. Organizations can also contact the ASIST training provider, Living Works, to schedule a workshop for their organization.  

What resources are helpful for understanding this program? 

• ASIST training website: https://www.livingworks.net/asist 
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center description: https://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/applied-suicide-intervention-skills-training-asist 

Any training or interventions from this repository should be used in accordance with established staff development standards and adopted professional development policies of the Local Education Agency (LEA) per §21.451 and §21.4515 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) and the LEA’s suicide prevention policies and procedures pursuant to §38.351. While this training satisfies the statutory training requirements of §21.451(d)(3)(A), §21.451 (d-1)(1), §21.451 (d-2) and §38.351, it is best practice for staff to receive ongoing training which may include job embedded professional development, coaching opportunities and annual training. 

Rating: Research-Informed 

Secondary components: Early Mental Health Prevention and Intervention; Grief and Trauma-Informed Practices; Positive, Safe, and Supportive School Climates