Mental Health And Suicide Prevention

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If you or someone you know is in immediate crisis, 
please call 911 or go to your local emergency room.

If you or someone you know is struggling or would like emotional support,
please call or text 988. 



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Reach Out! Walla Walla was started in 2016 by a dedicated group of community members who identified the need for more suicide prevention awareness and support within Walla Walla County. Since then, Reach Out! has grown with the mission to reduce stigma, promote resiliency, facilitate help seeking behaviors, provide training and break down barriers surrounding mental illness.
Learn more at reachoutww.org. 



Due to the increased awareness of the number of suicide incidents throughout Walla Walla County and neighboring communities, a cross-sector, cross-jurisdictional group of local leaders and concerned citizens convened to collect data, strategize, and implement suicide prevention and mental health promotion efforts throughout the Blue Mountain Region.

Training Opportunities

Tier One Trainings: 

  • QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer): the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. 
    • Format: In-person
    • Time: 1.5 hours
Tier Two Trainings: 

  • Mental Health First Aid: An evidence-based training program with proven ability to teach individuals how to recognize and respond to the warning signs of mental illness and substance use disorders and link people with appropriate treatment and support. Mental Health First Aid increases the understanding that mental illnesses are real, common, and treatable. 
    • Format: In-person, blended or virtual
    • Time: 7.5 hours (can be split up over two days) 

  • Youth Mental Health First Aid: Designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. 
    • Format: In-person, blended or virtual
    • Time: 6.5 to 7.5 hours

  • CALM: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means is a powerful addition to existing strategies to reduce the risk of suicide death in at-risk people while respecting their rights and autonomy. Worried about a loved one? Work in a job that brings you into contact with individuals who might be at risk of suicide but feel unequipped to intervene? Learn how you can help keep them safe - no clinical background required. 
    • Format: In-person or virtual
    • Time: 3 hours for clinical version, 30 minutes for conversations

  • Connect Suicide Postvention: Suicide Postvention is a planned response after a suicide loss to help with healing and to reduce the risk of further suicide incidents. This training focuses on best practices to coordinate a comprehensive, safe response to suicide. Audiences appropriate for this training are organizations such as social services, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and behavioral health agencies. This training is not offered to the general public; if you're interested in this training, please request training for your organization. 
    • Format: In-person
    • Time: 6 hours for training, two days for training and planning. 

Tier Three Trainings: 

  • ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is designed to help caregivers recognize risk and learn how to intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. The workshop is for all caregivers (any person in a position of trust). This includes professionals, paraprofessionals, faith leaders, and community leaders. 
    • Format: In-person
    • Time: Two full days

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Contact

For more information or to get involved in the Suicide Prevention Work Group, Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Work Group or training opportunities, please contact:

Cassidy Brewin, Suicide and Opioid Prevention Coordinator at cbrewin@co.walla-walla.wa.us or 509-524-2645

Resources

For the Mental Health Crisis Line in Walla Walla call: (509) 524-2999

For more resources go to:

Crisis
Support