Boomsma expands suicide prevention program

GUILFORD — Walter Boomsma, educator, author and founder of Abbot Village Press, recently announced an expansion of the suicide prevention training he’s offered in the past.

“I began offering the workshop as an adjunct to the Substitute Teacher Program I teach. Maine law requires all public school employees including substitutes to complete basic suicide awareness and prevention training,” he explained. “But last year’s classes were attended by a wide variety of people ranging from health care workers to parents, pastors and individuals who revealed having personal experiences with self-harm and suicide and a desire to learn ways to help others.”

Boomsma noted that he actually wasn’t that surprised. “After all, Maine is ranked 14th in the U.S. for deaths by suicide. Our state averages 196 deaths by suicide each year; the most recent available statistics show a 16 percent increase from 2007 through 2011 and suicide is the second leading cause of death among Maine youth aged 15-34. Once people understand this public health crisis, the Maine law requirement becomes secondary. People may come initially for that reason, but they leave feeling confident they can make a positive contribution to decreasing self-harm and suicide in our schools and communities.”

Previously offered only through adult education programs, this fall Boomsma discovered an opportunity to partner with the Guilford United Methodist Church. The church is providing the facility and assisting with promotion, making it possible for him to expand the program and offer it at no charge.

There are three sessions scheduled this fall. While the content follows a pre-established, researched-based curriculum, each session will have a slightly different focus. The first, on Sept. 20, emphasizes the school environment. The second session on Oct. 27 is planned as an after-school session, both as a convenience to school staff and employees, but also to encourage high school students to attend. The third session on Nov. 15 will review why the holidays can be a difficult period for some.

Boomsma admitted his passion is focused on kids and the school environment. “But these workshops are for anyone who has someone in their life that they are concerned about, adult or youth.”

He’s particularly excited about some of the results from last years’ workshops. “Ninety three percent of last year’s participants either agreed or strongly agreed they felt more confident in their ability to recognize suicide warning signs and risk factors. Eighty five percent said they felt better equipped to help someone who might seem suicidal. These are people who can and will make a difference.”

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 resources and information on more in-depth training offered by the Maine Suicide Prevention Program.

The training is presented in conjunction with the Maine Suicide Prevention Program, an initiative of the Maine CDC in DHHS offered through a partnership with NAMI Maine, The Maine Medical Association, Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine and Maine Primary Care Association. In addition to being Gatekeeper-trained, Boomsma is a certified mental health first aid specialist by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Maine.

While suicide prevention is a key component, Boomsma explained it is really about mental health. Citing the example of self-harm, he said, “Self harm is a serious problem in our youth population and valid predictor of suicide risk. I firmly believe that recognition of emotional issues and early intervention is possible. People do not need to be a heart doctor to learn CPR and they do not need to be a psychologist to provide help to those with emotional needs.”

In addition to the program in Guilford, Boomsma teaches the course in conjunction with RSU 19 Adult Education in Newport and MSAD 53 Adult Education in Pittsfield. For more information about any of these workshops, visit http://wboomsma.com or call Abbot Village Press at 343-1842.