FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (May 3, 2012) -- In 2001, a Soldier in Staff Sgt. Monique Barnes' unit committed suicide.
"I knew the person was having problems, but I didn't think it would come to the person taking their life," said Barnes, now a veterinary technician with the Public Health Command District at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington.
Eleven years later, Barnes participated in a two-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training interactive workshop held April 25 and 26 at Argonne Hills Chapel Center.
The monthly training is sponsored by Fort Meade's Army Substance Abuse Program.
ASIST is a 15-hour workshop that teaches participants to connect, understand and assist people who may be at risk of suicide, according to the website of LivingWorks Education Inc. The public service company developed ASIST as well as other suicide prevention programs. The company considers ASIST to be suicide first aid.
The Fort Meade training, attended by 15 service members and civilians, was led by Alan Dagg, chief religious program specialist and suicide prevention manager at U.S. Fleet Cyber Command-U.S. Tenth Fleet; Kirk Fechter, director of the Installation Safety Office; and Lamont Coger, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program technician at Aberdeen Proving Ground. All three are certified ASIST trainers.
ASIST is open to active-duty service members, Reservists, National Guardsmen, DoD civilians and military contractors.
"This is a great way to give people the tools to make that first contact with a person at risk," Dagg said. "There is still the taboo that asking for help is a sign of weakness. But we're sending a clear message that it is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength to ask for help. The taboo is being broken."
Suicide is an ongoing concern for the Department of Defense. Military leaders are addressing the issue through suicide prevention trainings such as ASIST.
The Army reported 18 potential suicides among active-duty Soldiers in March. So far this year, there have been 45 potential active-duty suicides. Twenty have been confirmed as suicides and 25 remain under investigation.
Suicide prevention is a high-priority for the Department of the Defense. Last year, 164 active-duty Soldiers committed suicide Armywide. Training such as ASIST is one of many efforts to reduce the number of suicides in the military.
During the two-day training, ASIST participants discussed their attitudes about suicide, simulated role-plays and learned about the ASIST Suicide Intervention Model. The model presents three phases of addressing the concerns of a person at risk for suicide.
The first phase is connecting when a concerned person or caregiver learns to recognize and respond to an invitation for help from a person at risk for suicide.
The second phase is understanding. The caregiver listens to the person's reasons for wanting to die, which are often accompanied by an ambivalence for wanting to live. The caregiver and the individual at risk then review the risks of suicide and develop a safe plan to remove the threat of suicide.
The final phase is assisting. The caregiver and individual at risk make a contract to follow the safe plan, which includes saying no to drugs and alcohol and taking precautions for the individual's safety. The caregiver then connects the person with family and community resources for help.
Barnes said the training helped her to recognize the signs of suicide and gave her the confidence to ask an individual at risk if the person needs help.
"Before the class, I don't think I would recognize the signs," Barnes said. "It's good for people in a unit to know that there is someone that can help them through the tough times."
Staff Sgt. Nathan Falu Febres, 70th Operations Support Squadron, said the training is necessary and he would recommend it for all noncommissioned officers.
"If it can help an NCO save their peers or their subordinates, it's worth it," he said.
Editor's note: The next Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training will be held June 27 and 28. For more information, email Alan Dagg at alan.dagg@navy.mil.
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