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The Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health are committed to training and education on curriculum that can help communities build capacity for effective suicide prevention. The following trainings represent the commitment to training reflected in the Utah Suicide Prevention Plan as well as priorities in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

Contact us to request a training in your organization!

What is a Gatekeeper?

According to the Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2001), a gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide.

Gatekeepers can be anyone, but include parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors, squad leaders, foremen, police officers, advisors, caseworkers, firefighters, and many others who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide.


Working Minds trains organizations to proactively address the early warning signs of suicide in the workplace. Just as organizations have realized they can help reduce heart disease by encouraging exercise, they can also reduce suicide by promoting mental health and encouraging early identification and intervention. This training will educate and equip businesses with tools to address mental health and suicide concerns within the workplace.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

QPR is a 60-90 minute training.

Learn more about QPR here

Vital Cog is an 8-hour course that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps you identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Learn more about MHFA here

safeTALK is a half-day alertness training that prepares anyone 15 or older, regardless of prior experience or training, to become a suicide-alert helper. Most people with thoughts of suicide don’t truly want to die, but are struggling with the pain in their lives. Through their words and actions, they invite help to stay alive. safeTALK-trained helpers can recognize these invitations and take action by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources, such as caregivers trained in ASIST.

safeTalk is a 3 hour training.

Learn more about safeTalk here

A community-based presentation that covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide.

Learn what suicide is, who it affects, what we know about it and what can be done to prevent it.

Learn more here

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day intensive, interactive and practice-dominated course designed to help clinical, non-clinical caregivers and parents recognize and review risk, and intervene to prevent the immediate risk of suicide. It is by far the most widely used, acclaimed and researched suicide intervention training workshop in the world. Trainers are certified by Living Works, Inc. as accomplished practitioners in suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.

Learn more about ASIST here

Safety Planning is an evidence based intervention that is proven to reduce suicidal distress and suicide attempts. This training will build knowledge and skills in recognizing warning signs, asking about suicidal thoughts, creating a collaborative safety plan with a person at risk of suicide, introducing skills to manage suicidal distress, reducing access to lethal means, and following up, with the goal of promoting long-term engagement and wellness.

This training will emphasize a strengths based, empowerment approach in working with suicidal individuals.

Creating Safety is a 3-4 hour training.

LivingWorks Start is a 1-2 hour interactive online training program that will give you the skills and knowledge to keep family, friends, co-workers, and others safe from suicide. Individuals can register here and complete the self-paced course in their own home, as their schedule allows.

Access to this program is provided free to Utahns by the Utah Division of Substance Abuse & Mental Health.

Create your LivingWorks Learn account here

*Once you have created your account you can proceed to the learning catalogue and add theLivingWorks Start course to your cart and then click on checkout.
The Coupon Code is entered on this checkout screen. Use this Coupon Code to receive a 100% discount, while supplies last: UDSAMH

Once you have registered for the LivingWorks Start course, you can launch the course by clicking the “LivingWorks Start” hyperlink in your order confirmation, or, navigating to the “Me” menu in the application. 

Gatekeeper Training

For inquiries about a Gatekeeper training, please fill in the boxes below.

Please note that in order to accommodate your request we require advance notice for all training requests.

Gatekeeper Training Request

Postvention

Connect Postvention

A suicide can have a devastating impact on a community or organization. The shock and grief can ripple thoughout the community affecting friends, co-workers, schools, and faith communities. Connect postvention training helps service providers respond in a coordinated and comprehensive way in the aftermath of a suicide or any sudden death. To learn more about this training, click here.