VMIAC held its second and final round of Alt2Su: When Conversations Turn to Suicide training at the end of June this year.
VMIAC hosted trainers Leo and Sarah from DISCHARGED to continue this brand-new training for the Lived and Living Experience Workforce (LLEW) in Victoria.
This round of training started in Bendigo, and then moved to Geelong. Previous training took place in Warragul and Melbourne CBD. 61 lived and living experience workers undertook this training in total, and the VMIAC training team are now moving into the evaluation phase of this project.
Thank you to everyone who attended and responded to our feedback surveys. At this time there is no further funding for Alt2Su training, however we are hopeful that this will be funded again in the future.
DISCHARGED, Bendigo
Feedback we received:
- “this was the best training I’ve ever participated in…They were knowledgeable using both personal experience and evidence-based knowledge in such a meaningful and accessible way. “
- “Thank you for making this the most accessible event I’ve ever attended. You’ve set the bar through the roof for all future training I attend so thank you.”
- “I feel like I’ve been able to reorient myself in terms of my practice.”
- “Without a doubt this is the most impactful and hope giving training I have ever had the privilege to be a part of. “
The LLEW taking part in this training learnt the following topics:
- Myths and misunderstandings related to suicide support and how to help
- Trauma, losses of power and control, and their relationship to suicide
- Alternatives to Suicide framework for support
- Ways to share power as a supporter
- Ways to care for yourself before and after offering support
- How to influence change in suicide prevention policies and beyond
The VMIAC LLEW team would like to take a moment to thank the trainers from DISCHARGED for their partnership with us.
If you would like to find out more about the training, visit DISCHARGED and alt2su group information can be found here.