The Southold Town Youth Bureau and the Family Service League are offering a free training seminar on suicide prevention, aimed at creating a “suicide alert” community.
The “safeTalk” seminar will be led by Cynthia McKelvey, Family Service League program coordinator, and Donna Altonji, LCSW-R, program director of William Floyd Family Center and program coordinator of Community Crisis Action Team. SafeTalk is a program created by LivingWorks, an organization that provides suicide intervention training worldwide.
“The idea is that if we have more people alert who have resources and know what to do next, we can prevent suicide,” says McKelvey. The knowledge that someone has suicidal thoughts can be a big responsibility and the seminar will provide the tools and resources to get someone help immediately, she says.
The three-hour seminar will teach parents, first responders, law enforcement or front line workers ways to recognize a suicidal person’s “invitation to help,” which is not always easy to spot. Trainers will provide guidance on how to keep a person safe and what resources are available to help someone who has thoughts of suicide.
Suicide is a major public health issue, claiming about 42,000 American lives every year. It is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34 and the fourth leading cause of death for people aged 35 to 54, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lynn Nyilas, Town of Southold Youth Bureau director, feels it’s important to bring suicide prevention awareness to the community.
“Unfortunately it’s a topic that’s in the forefront of our community. There have been quite a few suicides within proximity to the North Fork. It’s a tough topic but one that’s important to address and we’re trying to touch as many people as we can and make them suicide alert.”
The seminar will be held on April 20 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Peconic Lane Community Center, 1170 Peconic Lane, Peconic.
The seminar is limited to 30 people; reservations are required. For more information or reservations call: 973-747-8053 or email:cmckelvey@fsl-li.org
