Fifteen members of the Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools community have been trained in how to recognise when someone may be ideating suicidal thoughts.
The course, a two-day interactive workshop, also taught them how to work alongside the person to formulate a plan to support their immediate safety.
All staff members who took the course are now qualified as ASIST (applied suicide intervention skills training) caregivers.
“Our staff are the most highly dedicated team of individuals who will go above and beyond for our students, and this was just one example of this,” said Jo Johnson, a department head and ethics, philosophy and psychology teacher, who co-led the workshop.
“They should be extremely proud of their achievement, which was thoroughly deserved.”
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Johnson and her co-lead, Alex Copley (teacher learning support), had previously become qualified ASIST workshop facilitators with the help of the Mindstep Foundation.
The charity was founded in memory of a former pupil who took his own life four years ago. It funds research into the causes of suicide, as well as helping to support those who have been bereaved by – or are at risk of – suicide.
Johnson also volunteers with Papyrus, the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people. Earlier this month, we reported on its new campaign bids to prevent suicide by sharing stories.
If you are struggling to cope, please call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or contact other sources of support, such as those listed on the NHS help for suicidal thoughts webpages. Support is available round the clock, every single day of the year, providing a safe place for anyone struggling to cope, whoever they are, however they feel, whatever life has done to them.
