Helping a Friend or Loved One

• Threatening to hurt or kill themselves
• Looking for ways and means to kill themselves: such as a weapon, lethal means, access to pills
• Talking or writing about death, dying or even suicide
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Feelings of anger, revenge or rage
• Acting recklessly or mindlessly engaging in risky activities
• Feeling trapped and as if there is no way out
• Increased alcohol or drug use
• Withdrawing from friends, family or society
• Anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, sleeping all the time
• Dramatic mood changes
• Feelings of no reason to live
• Verbal hopelessness indicators and statements that suggest they may be thinking about suicide:
  • “I can’t go on any longer; I hate my life.”
  • “I’m so tired of it all; life is not worth living.”
  • “Everyone would be better off without me.”
  • “Nothing matters anymore. I want to die. I wish I were dead.”

• Always take suicidal thoughts and behaviors seriously.
• Share your concern about the person and ask them how they are doing.
• If you suspect they may be suicidal, ask them directly about their feelings and plans. Asking a person if they are suicidal will not put the idea in their head if it is not there already.
• If you fear for the person’s immediate safety, call Dallas College Police at 972-860-4290 if you are on campus, or call 911.
  
• Encourage the person to get help and offer your support, such as walking them to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on your campus.

Dallas College’s professional counselors offer virtual and in-person appointments. You can make an appointment online, by email at counseling@dallascollege.edu or by calling 972-669-6400 and asking to speak with a counselor.

What is AS+K training?

AS+K? About Suicide is a best practice-informed gatekeeper training as a Tier III in the former Best Practices Registry. AS+K? teaches participants key risk and protective factors for suicide, warning signs, and appropriate referral strategies. This one-, two-, or four-hour workshop is delivered by workshop leaders specifically trained to provide this support to their communities.

It is important to know that this training involves discussion about topics related to suicide and may be difficult for some. The AS+K? Workshop also involves practice sessions for participants to obtain hands-on experience with the AS+K? model.

What will attendees learn/leave with?

• Overview of safe messaging, the basic epidemiology of suicide
• Public health approach to suicide prevention
• Risk and protective factors and warning signs often associated with suicide
• Trained to identify warning signs, language, behaviors and characteristics that might indicate elevated risk for suicidal behavior
• How to ask a person if they might be thinking about suicide

The objectives of this training are to equip participants to:

• Know the basic information about suicide prevalence, risk and protective factors, and warning signs
• Understand the role of the gatekeeper in suicide prevention
• Understand that suicide can generally be prevented from the public health perspective
• Have the confidence to respond
• Connect someone at risk to qualified care in their community and to state and national resources

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.

Just like certification for CPR or First Aid, MHFA allows participants to receive a certification in Mental Health First Aid training.