A one-day workshop at the Bermuda College next month is geared at reducing stigma around suicide.

Held on World Suicide Day on September 10, it will offer practical tools to recognise and respond to people who may be struggling.

“Demystifying Suicide: Let’s Talk About It” will be led by Sherrie Lynn Lilley, a certified suicide educator and licensed mental health counsellor.

It will run from 9am to 4pm at the Butterfield & Vallis Conference Centre at the college’s Paget campus, and is open to first responders, crisis counsellors, social workers, medical staff and members of the public.

Karen Smith, programme co-ordinator at Apace, said: “Through Apace’s healthcare programmes, we recognise that supporting health must include both physical and mental wellbeing.

“Suicide is a global public health crisis that also affects Bermuda, making it important that professionals and community members have the knowledge and skills to responded appropriately.

“We hope to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and help participants feel more confident discussing it.

“The workshop will introduce practical interventions, treatment strategies and safety planning, as well as compassionate approaches to supporting families grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide.”

The first half of the workshop will examine what constitutes suicide and suicidality, how people can experience suicidal ideation and how to recognise it, as well as approaches to prevention.

Ms Lilley said participants would explore how “some of the driving forces are not what we think”.

“So we’re going to debunk a lot of myths. We’re going to discuss a lot of what creates such a large stigma around this topic.”

The training will consider cultural and religious factors and include what Ms Lilley described as a “layman’s quick four-step risk assessment”.

Participants will explore interventions, including a six-step collaborative approach intended to involve the individual experiencing suicidality.

Ms Lilley added: “What this training does is that when I give some ideas of how to recognise when a person may be struggling, the next thing that you’re going to do is not be afraid to say to the person, ‘Are you struggling?’”

The first half of the workshop is suited for anyone, Ms Lilley said, including people who are not mental health professionals. The second half will focus on crisis response for frontline workers, including crisis response training. Participants can attend one or both sessions.

Four modules will cover immediate response and protocols, psychological first aid, immediate tools and resource deployments and provider secondary trauma and self-care protocols.

Ms Lilley said: “It’s going to have aspects of it that are clinical. I’m going to go over some clinical protocols, but that doesn’t exclude my next-door neighbour from being able to understand it because I do lay everything out in layman’s terms.”

The fee for the training, which will include videos and role play, is $395. Financial support is available to eligible Bermudian students.

• For more information e-mail apace@college.bm or, for financial information, e-mail financialsupportservices@college.bm