New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project's (NMSIP)
Postvention Approach for School Communities, Part 1 and 2
A few available spots are left at this informative training presented by New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project (NMSIP) to be held November 5 from 11-3 at the Los Griegos Community Center in Albuquerque. Contact Norma Vasquez for registration. 505-222-8678 or norma.vasquez@state.nm.us
Description: Part 1: This four hour workshop will present an overview of NMSIP's unique and effective postvention team response in school communities and provide practical tools for effectively working with and supporting schools in the aftermath of a student suicide. Participants will learn 1) how to use a systemic approach that creates connections, increases safety and decreases blame following a crisis; 2) how the complex web of connections between youth, family, school and community are threatened when a young person takes their own life; and 3) how to create a unified supportive team that can assist a school in crisis after a suicide.
Audience: Office of School Based and Adolescent Health staff who are responsible for the programmatic direction of school based health clinics throughout New Mexico.
Part 2: This four hour workshop will specifically address how local postvention teams can effectively work with and support school communities in the aftermath of a student suicide. Workshop components include information on:
a. Forming a support system for students, faculty, parents
b. Providing a safe environment for students to express feelings
c. Prevent a contagion response
d. Assist with immediate notification
e. Access appropriate resources for ongoing support
Audience: School-based health clinic staff and their community team members
Presenters: The New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project is a private, non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the last decade, its SKY Center has provided state-of-the-art training that has prepared close to 200 graduate and advanced studies students in the Education, Counseling and Social Work fields to meet the high demands of the current trends in education and human services. This training has equipped participants with a wide variety of practical skills and broad knowledge base to meet the ever increasing challenges in these areas.
Over the last several years, NMSIP staff have helped a number of Northern New Mexico school communities navigate the difficult time after a student suicide. In 2004, this experience led NMSIP to form a Santa Fe based postvention team in order to create a larger support circle of professionals who understand the complexity of youth suicide. In addition, a postvention manual was developed to give team members a systematic approach to helping school communities following a crisis.