St. Louis County Hosts Free safeTALK Training

DULUTH, Minn. — A free training session took place Thursday to help the families and loved ones of those contemplating suicide.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. At any given time, one in 20 people — or 5% of the population have thought about it.

safeTALK, a program offered through St. Louis County, is hoping to counter that statistic by offering support to loved ones contemplating suicide. Individuals who are thinking of suicide may not always tell you they are struggling directly but can give signs that are looking for help. Trainers teach participants how to recognize the signs of suicide and develop tactics to counter them.

“First is to be aware and alert and aware of those things and subtle signs is a big part of it. Once you start to recognize those things a skill that may not be directly mentioned in the training is active listening. Becoming really engaged with the person demonstrating empathy wanting to be there and connected with them and forming a bridge of trust and support someone who is really struggling,” said Josh Gorham, project coordinator for St. Louis County.

safeTALK will also take place Friday at the Virginia Government Services Building.