Yellow Ribbon Gatekeeper Training

The Yellow Ribbon program supports and follows the Canadian National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

The Yellow Ribbon Gatekeeper training helps any "trusted adult" to recognize and understand the symptoms, risk factors, and warning signs of suicide. A "trusted adult" is can be a parent, grandparent, coach, Scout or Guide leader, teacher, playground supervisor, school administrator, or school counselor. In short, anyone a child or youth sees as accessible to them.

To make approaching "trusted adults" easier, the Yellow Ribbon Program developed the "It's OK to Ask 4 Help" card. The Yellow Ribbon Cards are:

Pocket sized cards that empower and encourage teens to seek help in times of crisis. Cards that help give a 'voice' to youth who otherwise might be lost to suicide.

Teens who have attempted suicide have told us that they were in such a state at the time they tried to kill themselves that they couldn't, in many cases, really call out....they could only scream a silent scream!

"Be-A-Link®" protocol

We are not asking, or teaching anyone to be a counselor. Instead, we teach you to be a link.

Get the Yellow Ribbon It's OK to Ask 4 Help cards!

Basic principles of the "Be-a-Link®" Gatekeeper training are:

• To educate people to be Gatekeepers, such as school staff (certified and classified), parents, peers, elders and the community to recognize suicidal behaviors in youth and adults. Yellow Ribbon's Be-A-Link!® Gatekeeper Training gives the training and the tools to effectively educate youth and adults.  It does not overburden school staff with too much information or require them to take on too much training or responsibility. It teaches and encourages the effective Be-A-Link!® protocol thus not displacing or replacing professionals already in place and can help reduce the liability issue for teachers, school staff and community.

• Explain what the Yellow Ribbon program® is... (The Yellow Ribbon program® offers support to friends and family of suicide victims. As Yellow Ribbon is a Survivor Founded and led program, the emphasis is on supporting survivors and working with the new 'high-risk' people in a community following both suicide attempts and completions.  YR works with victim advocate groups and survivor support groups throughout the country to assist bringing a greater focus on effective survivor crisis response and support.)
  • how it began
  • the Canadian statistics

• How Yellow Ribbon Addresses Suicide

• Identifying Suicidal Clues
  • Myths & Facts
  • Factors of suicide (risk factors, warning signs & protective factors)

• Lifesaving Strategies
  • YR cards
  • Talking to teens about suicide
  • Coping Strategies
  • Be-A-Link Protocal Information
    

Community Development Model

Research has shown that the most effective and long lasting suicide prevention programs are those that are community based and involve many sectors of the community: schools, churches, employers, sports groups, clubs, friends and peers.

Many communities have difficulty in planning and organizing a local suicide prevention program and many are not aware of the resources they have at hand. The Community Development Model assists communities in planning, organizing, training, implementing and funding a local suicide prevention initiative using their local assets. It uses a seven-step model that has been proven to work and includes public and school presentations as well as gatekeeper training. The Model also provides tools for maintaining and replicating the suicide prevention initiative by training community presenters and includes school, community and media protocols to follow when a suicide happens.

The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program® Community Development Model meets many of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention goals and objectives in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

The Community Development Model has been used very successfully in many cities in the United States, most notably Littleton, Co. and has recently been introduced to Canada. Many communities have benefited from having a designed and tested model from which to work in organizing and implementing a community based Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program®.

Contact the Yellow Ribbon program for additional information.

Presentations, Workshops, and Seminars

Yellow Ribbon's presentations and workshops can help start you and your community on the path of developing a strong suicide prevention program. These events are in high demand. People are taking action and becoming advocates of saving youth. Participants, youth and adults, are enthusiastic and empowered by knowing they can help save lives! Presentations can be held in your local community.

Barbara's presentations have helped many people through this difficult time, whether or not they have considered suicide, or known someone who has attempted or committed suicide. Read their testimonials.