Suicide Intervention Skills Matter

It was a Wednesday like any other. I had just got off work, rushed home to get my 2 sons,?loaded them in my Kia Soul, and then we were off. I was lucky I got a sandwich for the road. Wednesdays usually see me eating only once; my wife is so good at planning ahead for my needs. We arrived at TrailLife (a spin-off of Boy Scouts) and I started prepping for the meeting. I had decided to take on leading the K-1st graders as my youngest son was in that group at the time. I figured this would be great way for me as stepfather to bond with my kids, and to help them to learn basic skills like repairing electrical sockets, learning how to read maps,?and all the other things people might typically forget they need when they grow up.?

We had sat down after the?Pledge of?Allegiance?and?the Trailman Oath, and we talked about the things we were going to be reviewing with each group. I realized I had left something I needed in my car and walked out to grab it. As I was walking out to my car, I saw a few of the other leaders congregating around a man I had never seen before. He was disheveled and looked like he had been walking for a while, in the Phoenix Valley during the middle of summer, it’s something you can easily spot. I walked on over to see if I could help,?and because as a Father I wanted to make sure whatever was going on wouldn’t be impacting my kids. I overheard him talking about how he just wanted to pray in the church because he wasn’t in a good place. This perked my ears up and my mind kept replaying an acronym taught to me during a Mental Health Assessment Training.

For those who may not know, my job for a while was being a direct care provider for individuals struggling with their mental health. I stepped in and quickly started talking with the man that was sitting on the sidewalk in front of the church. The others must have realized that I was comfortable with the situation, and they quickly let me take?the?lead?in talking with the gentleman. It was a sad state. He had lost everything, had turned to alcohol to deal with emotions,?and in turn his mental health started to devolve into hallucinations and suicidal ideation. I comforted him and shared my story of addiction, multiple suicide attempts,?and how things can get better. I made a quick safety plan with him as I had one of the other dads call the local warm line to see about getting him into an inpatient psychiatric unit. Sadly, it was a busy day, and it was going to be at least an hour. One of the other parents offered to take him, and I saw him off.

Small moments like this leave an impression on you. A training I had taken 4 years ago seared information in a way that may have just helped save a life. Everyone is encouraged to get CPR/First Aid training, but sadly mental health trainings like this are not as commonly encouraged. If you have the time and heart to sit with someone who is in a vulnerable place, I highly recommend you take a training that can prepare you for it.

By Noah Barin

Interested in taking a class? The Link is Below

https://sbh.teachable.com/p/asist-workshop