Resources and Training for Workers in Higher-Risk Professions
Resources and Training for
People who work in certain professions have a higher risk for attempting and/or completing suicide than others. This can be because:
- They are more likely to experience trauma
- They have easier access to means of suicide such as firearms and medications
- The job involves a high likelihood of injury in the field that may lead to temporary or permanent disability
- and other reasons
It’s important to know that there is support available for these professionals.
Support and resources for doctors
Support, services, and resources for SMVF in Rhode Island and nationally
Support, services, and resources for construction workers
Support and resources for dentists
Support, Resources, and suicide prevention training for veterinarians
The Code Green Campaign supports all first responders, including firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, police, corrections, air medical, and search & rescue.
Blue H.E.L.P. supports police officers and their families with suicide prevention resources.
If you have lost a patient or client to suicide, here are resources to help you cope:
- From the American Psychological Association: “Surviving A Patient’s Suicide”
- From the American Association of Medical Colleges, “When a Patient Dies by Suicide”
- From the American Psychiatric Association: “Helping Residents Cope with Patient Suicide”
*Often, workplaces have a contract with an Employee Assistance Program that provides confidential counseling. If you have a human resources office, speak with them or ask your employer directly.
Training is available for Workers in Higher-Risk Professions
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers this suicide prevention training available for general audiences with specific modules for seniors, LGBTQ people, and workplace settings.
Now Matters Now, a skills-based site grounded in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, offers free training for those with suicidal thoughts, substance or mental health problems or their family members and friends. It also offers courses for healthcare, crisis, peer support service and school counseling providers.
A course that teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. It focuses on reaching out to provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.
A one-hour training focused on “gatekeepers”—people in a position to recognize a crisis and do something about it. A gatekeeper can be a friend, coworker, teacher, boss, or parent.