TC Energy grant to cover registration fees for suicide prevention training

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on August 31, 2021.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

A grant from TC Energy will cover registration fees for anyone taking part in local suicide prevention training this fall, the Canadian Mental Health Association has announced.

The ASIST program teaches those certified to recognize warning signs of potential self-harm, intervention skills and how to develop a safety plan. Certification lasts three years.

“With these funds from TC Energy, we will be able to provide Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) to community members who may not have considered taking them before,” stated Breanne Mellen, the suicide prevention program coordinator in Southeast Alberta.

She said the techniques are useful to a wide array of individuals.

The two-day course is being offered in three blocks this fall – Sept. 16-17, Oct. 14-15 and Nov. 25-26.

The value of the grant is estimated to be about $9,800 provided by TC Energy, formerly known as Trans-Canada Pipelines.

More information on the courses is available at the website wellnessmaters.ca or by phoning the local CMHA office at 403-504-1811.