Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) Summer 2023

ATTENTION: This event is limited to 30 participants. If you're not one of the first 30 people to register, you will be notified that your name will be put on a waitlist. By registering for this event, you agree to attend the ASIST Training in person on July 6-7th at the Pappajohn Center, 1200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA. If for some reason you are unable to attend the training, you must notify us at scsmh-main@uiowa.edu 48 hours prior to the event, otherwise we will invoice you $200 for the cost of the training.

Intended Audience: Educators

Course dates: July 6 & 7, 2023

Meeting times: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm both days (In-person instruction – Not recorded)

Location: Pappajohn Center Room 208, 1200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA

*Note: please be aware that the 80/35 Music Festival is taking place at noon on Friday, July 7th, and there will be street closures that may affect your access to the Pappajohn Center, particularly on Friday, July 7th. Below is a list of the streets that will be closed due to the Music Festival. Please plan accordingly.

Thursday, July 6th at 7:00 AM through Sunday, July 9th at 10:00 PM 

• Locust from 10th to 15th*
• 10th Street from Locust to Walnut
• 12th Street from Locust to Walnut (Grand to Locust already closed beginning July 5)
• 13th Street from Grand to Walnut

Friday, July 7th at 5:00 AM through Sunday, July 9th at 10:00 PM

• Southern (1) Lane on Grand from 10th to 15th

Name and professional titles of instructors: Sara Knox, LMSW, Director, Iowa Peer Network; Ryan Dickson, Crisis Helpline Director. 

Learning goals: Over the course of the two-day workshop, ASIST participants learn to:

• Understand the ways that personal and societal attitudes affect views on suicide and interventions.
• Provide guidance and suicide first aid to a person at risk in ways that meet their individual safety needs.
• Identify the key elements of an effective suicide safety plan and the actions required to implement it.
• Appreciate the value of improving and integrating suicide prevention resources in the community at large.
• Recognize other important aspects of suicide prevention including life-promotion and self-care.

Description: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants do NOT need formal training to attend the workshop—anyone 16 or older can learn and use the ASIST model. Ultimately, ASIST is founded on the principle that everyone can make a difference in preventing suicide. The more people in the community who have suicide intervention training, the more likely it is they will be able to identify someone at risk and intervene to keep them safe.

Location: BTLC PDA

Max capacity: 30

** Attention: If you wish to use this course for licensure renewal credit, make sure to check with your school district for approval prior to registering for the course.