Sessions on suicide prevention

ABBOT — Walter Boomsma, educator and author, is presenting a workshop on suicide prevention. The workshop is for anyone who has someone in their life that they are concerned about, adult or youth.

Maine is ranked 14th in the U.S. for deaths by suicide. Suicide in Maine occurs seven to nine times more often than homicide. The state averages 196 deaths by suicide each year; in 2009 alone, 2,800 high school students and 4,000 adults attempted suicide while 6,700 high school students and 27,000 adults considered suicide.

The first step in suicide prevention is to become aware of the issues in order to develop prevention knowledge and strategies. In this two-hour workshop, participants will gain general information on suicide prevention and intervention. They will receive printed information with local resources and information on more in-depth trainings offered by the Maine Suicide Prevention Program.

The training is presented through the Maine Suicide Prevention Program, an initiative of the Maine CDC in DHHS; training offered through partnership with NAMI Maine, The Maine Medical Association, Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine and Maine Primary Care Association. The training also meets the requirements of LD 609 for public and private school employees.

Boomsma is gatekeeper trained and a NAMI-certified mental health first aid specialist for youth and adults. He is an experienced educator and battle-tested elementary school substitute teacher and authored the book “Small People ‚Ä“Big Brains, stories about simplicity, exploration and wonder”.

There are currently four opportunities to attend: March 15 and March 29 in Dover-Foxcroft and March 17 and April 14in Newport. The Dover-Foxcroft classes are sponsored by Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative (564-6525) and the Newport classes are sponsored by RSU 19 Adult Education (368-3290). Additional information is also available at http://wboomsma.com/.