Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

Suicide Prevention Training for Groups & Organizations

What is ASIST?

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is the world’s leading suicide intervention training program.
This two-day, interactive workshop teaches participants how to recognize when someone may be at risk of suicide and how to provide a life-saving intervention.

Developed by LivingWorks, ASIST is an internationally recognized, evidence-based training that empowers individuals to feel confident and prepared to support someone in crisis.

Unlike awareness-only programs, ASIST gives participants the practical tools and skills to respond effectively — and to help create safer communities where lives are saved.

Who is ASIST for?

ASIST is designed for anyone who wants to feel more prepared to help prevent suicide, including:

  • Mental health professionals

  • First responders

  • Teachers and school staff

  • Faith leaders and church members

  • Veterans organizations

  • Employers and workplace teams

  • Community organizations

  • Volunteers and peer support specialists

  • Friends, family members, and caring individuals from all walks of life

No prior clinical experience is required. Anyone can learn to make a difference.

What Will You Learn?

As an ASIST Master Trainer, I guide participants through a dynamic, interactive learning experience.
During the two-day workshop, participants will:

  • Learn to recognize signs of suicide risk

  • Understand factors that contribute to suicide

  • Build confidence to have open conversations about suicide

  • Practice a proven model for suicide intervention

  • Develop skills to help someone stay safe and access further support

  • Explore attitudes and beliefs about suicide and helping

  • Gain tools to create a more suicide-safer community

ASIST is highly interactive and involves both large group discussions and hands-on practice through role-plays and guided learning.

By the end of the training, participants feel more empowered and prepared to intervene when it matters most.

Why ASIST?

  • Evidence-based — backed by over 40 years of research and global application

  • Proven effectiveness — shown to increase intervention skills and reduce suicide rates in trained communities

  • Practical and applicable — skills can be used in everyday interactions, not just in professional settings

  • Life-saving impact — even one intervention can make a profound difference

In communities where ASIST is widely offered, lives are saved — and a stronger culture of safety and support is built.

ASIST Training through Empowered Wellness

As an ASIST Master Trainer, I am passionate about helping communities and organizations develop strong, effective suicide prevention capacity.

I offer customized ASIST trainings for groups, including:

  • On-site workshops for organizations, agencies, schools, churches, and businesses

  • Community-based trainings open to the public

  • Private group trainings arranged for your specific team or network

Workshops are delivered in a supportive, engaging format that meets the needs of your group.

All trainings follow the official LivingWorks ASIST curriculum and participants receive an official ASIST certificate upon completion.

How to Schedule an ASIST Training

To learn more about hosting an ASIST training for your organization or group, or to inquire about upcoming community trainings, please contact me directly:

👉 Email: dsteelman@empowered-wellness.net

I would be honored to help you bring this powerful, life-saving training to your community.

Together, we can create a world where fewer lives are lost to suicide — and where more people know how to help when it matters most.

#ASIST #SuicidePreventionTraining #ASISTTraining #MasterTrainer #SuicideSaferCommunities #EmpoweredWellness #WorkshopsAndEvents #LivingWorksASIST #SaveLives #WellnessTraining

CALM Training

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means — Suicide Prevention Skills for Groups & Organizations

What is CALM?

CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) is an evidence-based suicide prevention training designed to help professionals and community members learn how to reduce access to lethal means for individuals at risk of suicide.

Limiting access to lethal means — such as firearms, medications, and other potentially fatal methods — is a proven strategy that can save lives.

This practical, accessible training teaches participants how to have effective, collaborative conversations about safe storage and access reduction during times of heightened suicide risk.

CALM is one of the most actionable and effective interventions any helping professional or community member can learn.

Who is CALM for?

CALM training is ideal for anyone who may interact with individuals at risk of suicide, including:

  • Mental health professionals and counselors

  • Primary care and medical providers

  • Peer specialists and case managers

  • First responders

  • Faith leaders and church staff

  • School counselors and educators

  • Veterans services providers

  • Community-based organizations

  • Family members and caregivers

  • Law enforcement

No prior clinical experience is required. CALM is designed to be practical and usable across many different settings.

What Will You Learn?

As a trained CALM facilitator, I guide participants through this focused, highly practical training experience.

During CALM training, participants will learn how to:

  • Understand the relationship between means access and suicide risk

  • Recognize when counseling on means reduction is appropriate

  • Have collaborative, respectful conversations about reducing access to lethal means

  • Address common concerns and resistance around means safety

  • Identify safe storage options and temporary off-site solutions

  • Support families and caregivers in implementing means reduction strategies

  • Navigate legal and ethical considerations

  • Connect means reduction efforts to a broader framework of suicide prevention

CALM is interactive and discussion-based, giving participants time to reflect and practice new skills.

Why CALM?

  • Evidence-based — means reduction is one of the most effective interventions for reducing suicide deaths

  • Practical and actionable — participants leave with skills they can use immediately in real-world settings

  • Applicable across professions — useful for clinicians, first responders, clergy, educators, and community members alike

  • Life-saving impact — even one means reduction conversation can make a profound difference

Research shows that when lethal means are made less accessible during times of crisis, suicide attempts are significantly less likely to result in death.

CALM Training through Empowered Wellness

At Empowered Wellness, I offer CALM training for groups and organizations, including:

  • On-site workshops for agencies, schools, churches, and businesses

  • Community-based trainings open to the public

  • Private group trainings tailored for your specific needs

Trainings are delivered in a supportive, engaging format that meets the needs of your team or community.

Participants will receive official CALM materials and a certificate of completion.

How to Schedule a CALM Training

To learn more about hosting a CALM training for your organization or group, or to inquire about upcoming community trainings, please contact me directly:

👉 Email: dsteelman@empowered-wellness.net

I would be honored to help you bring this powerful, life-saving training to your community.

Together, we can create a world where fewer lives are lost to suicide — and where more people know how to help when it matters most.

#CALMTraining #LethalMeansSafety #SuicidePrevention #MeansReduction #SaveLives #EmpoweredWellness #WorkshopsAndEvents #CounselingOnAccessToLethalMeans #CommunityPrevention #EmpoweredCommunities

AS+K Training

Ask About Suicide to Save a Life — Community Suicide Prevention Training

What is AS+K?

AS+K (Ask About Suicide to Save a Life) is an evidence-based suicide prevention training that teaches participants how to recognize suicide warning signs, ask directly about suicide, and connect individuals to life-saving help.

Developed for broad community use, AS+K is designed to empower anyone — regardless of background or role — to take immediate, supportive action if they suspect someone may be at risk of suicide.

AS+K is an introductory-level gatekeeper training, ideal for raising awareness and building basic suicide prevention capacity across entire communities.
It is short, practical, and highly accessible — and it can save lives.

Who is AS+K for?

AS+K is designed for everyone.
It is an excellent fit for:

  • Faith leaders and church groups

  • School staff and counselors

  • First responders

  • Law enforcement

  • Youth-serving organizations

  • Parents and caregivers

  • Community members

  • Business and civic leaders

  • Peer support groups

  • Veterans organizations

No clinical background is required.
If you care about creating a suicide-safer community, this training is for you.

What Will You Learn?

As a trained AS+K facilitator, I guide participants through this short, highly practical training.

In AS+K, you will learn:

  • How to recognize common warning signs of suicide

  • How to ask directly about suicide in a safe and compassionate way

  • How to listen and provide support without judgment

  • How to connect individuals to appropriate resources and help

  • How to reduce stigma and foster more open conversations about suicide

AS+K is designed to build comfort and confidence — so that when the moment comes, you know how to respond.

The training includes short presentations, discussion, and interactive activities to reinforce key skills.

Why AS+K?

  • Accessible and inclusive — designed for all community members

  • Short format — typically delivered in 1.5 to 2 hours

  • Evidence-based — informed by best practices in suicide prevention

  • Immediate impact — participants leave ready to take life-saving action

  • Essential first step — ideal for introducing suicide prevention in organizations or communities

In many cases, the simple act of asking and connecting someone to help makes the difference between life and death.

AS+K empowers more people to be that difference.

AS+K Training through Empowered Wellness

At Empowered Wellness, I offer AS+K trainings for groups and organizations, including:

  • On-site workshops for churches, schools, civic groups, agencies, and businesses

  • Community-based trainings open to the public

  • Private group trainings tailored to your needs

Trainings are interactive, supportive, and trauma-informed — delivered with sensitivity to the needs of each audience.

Participants will receive official AS+K materials and a certificate of participation.

How to Schedule an AS+K Training

To learn more about hosting an AS+K training for your organization or group, or to inquire about upcoming community trainings, please contact me directly:

👉 Email: dsteelman@empowered-wellness.net

I would be honored to help you bring this life-saving training to your community.
Together, we can foster more open conversations about suicide — and save lives.

#ASKTraining #AskAboutSuicide #SuicidePreventionTraining #CommunityGatekeeper #SaveLives #EmpoweredWellness #WorkshopsAndEvents #FaithBasedPrevention #SchoolPrevention #CommunityPrevention

Hope, Help, Healing Conference

A Faith-Based Community Conference on Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness

About the Conference

The Hope, Help, Healing Conference brings together faith leaders, mental health professionals, first responders, educators, community members, and anyone with a heart for suicide prevention and emotional well-being.

Hosted by SPARK (Suicide Prevention through Awareness, Readiness, and Knowledge) and partners across East Texas, this conference provides a welcoming space to explore life-saving topics through the lens of faith, compassion, and community action.

Together, we will focus on three essential pillars:

  • Hope — Cultivating a message of hope for those struggling with despair

  • Help — Equipping community members and leaders with practical tools and resources

  • Healing — Supporting those affected by suicide and fostering resilience within our communities

This is a faith-friendly conference that honors all who come with a spirit of hope and learning.

Who Should Attend?

Everyone is welcome. The conference is designed for:

  • Faith leaders, church staff, and lay leaders

  • Educators and school staff

  • Mental health and healthcare professionals

  • First responders and law enforcement

  • Community members

  • Survivors of loss

  • Family members, caregivers, and advocates

  • Anyone committed to creating a suicide-safer community

No prior experience is needed — this conference is for all who wish to make a difference.

What to Expect

  • Engaging keynote speakers aligned with each theme: Hope, Help, Healing

  • Breakout sessions on suicide prevention, postvention, mental health in faith communities, trauma-informed care, grief support, and more

  • Resource tables and community networking

  • Faith-integrated discussions on fostering hope and healing

  • Time for reflection, prayer, and connection

Cost

FREE — thanks to the generosity of our partners and sponsors.
Space is limited — pre-registration is required.

 

#HopeHelpHealingConference #FaithAndMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #SPARKTexas #EmpoweredCommunities #FaithBasedPrevention #JacksonvilleTX #HopeHelpHealing #StopSuicide #MentalHealthAwareness