The Maine Suicide Prevention Program, as part of the Building Caring Connections in Maine (BCCIM) youth suicide prevention grant, is offering a series of workshops for school personnel to create and strengthen protocols around suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
The free workshops will be held at the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) office in Veazie on Nov. 20 and Dec. 10 and at the University of New England’s Portland campus on Nov. 12 and Dec. 16.
All Maine school districts are invited to send two representatives to participate in this free protocol workshop. At least one participant must have completed a gatekeeper training within the past five years. It is also recommend that one participant have a clinical background. The BCCIM grant requires specific evaluation of all funded activities, therefore you will be asked to complete a short pre/post survey and provide school protocols to the grant evaluators, the University of New England.
In 2013, Maine passed a law requiring all public school staff to participate in suicide prevention awareness education and gatekeeper training. The Maine DOE rules that guide the implementation of the new law recommends that all public schools have protocols for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. The workshop and technical assistance are being provided at no cost to school districts. Participants will receive four contact hours.
Advanced registration is required and space is limited. To register, please click here.
Upon registration, participants will receive a pre-survey via email from the grant evaluator that must be completed prior to the training date.
For information and resources to support suicide prevention, visit www.maine.gov/suicide/ or contact the Maine DOE’s Health Education and Health Promotion Coordinator Susan Berry at susan.berry@maine.gov or 624-6695.
