Since offering this program starting in 2014, YSAC has collected feedback from over 1100 participants. This is what they had to say about YSAC’s Life is Sacred Suicide Prevention Workshop.
Building Confidence as a Helper
In every area below, participant confidence increased in learning and knowing how to help youth who have expressed suicide ideation.
Rating
Very Confident
Confident
Somewhat Confident
Knowing useful things youth can do to be mentally well, including culturally specific activities.
Very Confident
50%
Confident
45%
Somewhat Confident
15%
Knowing what to do if a youth is in heightened distress
Very Confident
3%
Confident
45%
Somewhat Confident
25%
Knowing what to do if a youth is showing signs of suicidal behaviour
Very Confident
35%
Confident
50%
Somewhat Confident
25%
Knowing when it is appropriate to intervene
Very Confident
45%
Confident
45%
Somewhat Confident
15%
Knowing activities to engage youth
Very Confident
40%
Confident
45%
Somewhat Confident
15%
Knowing when it is appropriate to recommend professional help options
Very Confident
40%
Confident
40%
Somewhat Confident
15%
Developing prevention mechanisms in your community
Very Confident
30%
Confident
40%
Somewhat Confident
15%
Meeting Course Objectives
Participant feedback shows that the Life is Sacred Suicide Prevention training program has met the course objectives in learning about suicide prevention.
Rating
10
9
8
<5
Define Suicide and suicidal behaviours
10
50%
9
45%
8
15%
< 5
15%
Define and outline suicide risk
10
50%
9
45%
8
15%
Develop an understanding of community practices that contribute to mental well being
10
50%
9
45%
8
15%
< 5
15%
Introduce natural ways to promote healthy well being
10
45%
9
30%
8
32%
< 5
5%
Expand your awareness about your role in suicide prevention and Intervention
10
60%
9
18%
8
18%
< 5
5%
Take Aways
What Participants took away from the Life is Sacred Suicide Prevention Workshop
- Suicide interventions, awareness and education
- Warning signs, talking with a person
- That youth need someone to listen to, that their opinion does matter
- Deeper understanding of colonization, more ideas to keep youth engaged in positive activities
- First Nations perspective to suicide
- Feel more confident in speaking to others in need, knowing the resources of help out there
- Very understandable and we each have it in ourselves to make a difference
- Culturally appropriate
- Take suicide seriously
- Suicide interventions, awareness and education
- How engaging with youth in a non-judgemental way is very important
- Those suicide awareness videos really had me shook, it was touching
- Better understanding of suicide, risk factors and ways to help
- I’ll be taking away the Media and how it plays in favour to promote suicide
- Suicide can be prevented