I went thru an about an 80 hour Suicide Prevention, Crisis Call Center course, then did over a hundred hours staff work to pay them back for the training.
Within a year, during my 1,000 hour internship with Adult Parole and Probation a PO was given a cassette by a probationer during a home visit, came back to the office and gave it to me to listen to, and the training kicked in within the first minute. I called the PO over, told him this was a suicide note, and five minutes into the tape it got down to the suicide plan. We were both back at the probationers place ten minutes after that.
Not only that, after a suicide on the reservation I got the Chairman's ok and the SPCCC came down and gave a two day course in basic suicidology to some 20 tribal staffers. Boy were they ever ready to listen. No more intentional suicides I can remember while I was with the tribe.
Guess that makes two more instances I should write down to remind me I've paid a little back for my existence.
Silver Fox Knows, tell your wife if she can take the training and manage to do the helping even a few times, it will be one of the most worthwhile things she's ever done. And take care of her like I know you will. She'll need the support.
