Suicide Awareness
Develop a clearer awareness of suicide prevention and learn how to recognise when someone may need further support.
Suicide Awareness Training
The Suicide Awareness course is a half-day session that introduces the foundations of suicide prevention and the principles behind suicide intervention. Suitable for both professional and personal settings, it helps learners understand how compassionate, early support can make a difference when someone may be struggling.
Learners develop awareness of suicidal thoughts and behaviour, explore how to recognise when someone may need support and learn how to refer them to a Suicide First Aider using the Suicide-Safety Guide.
Delivered by experienced suicide prevention trainers, the course offers a structured and sensitive way to approach a difficult subject. Through guided learning, discussion and practical activities, learners can build confidence in how to respond with care and appropriate boundaries.
What Is Suicide Awareness Training?
Our suicide awareness training helps learners build their understanding of suicide prevention, recognise when someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts and know how to connect them with further support.
It is natural to worry about using the wrong words or feeling unsure how to respond when you are concerned about someone. This course offers practical guidance, clear language and a structured approach to recognising concern and asking about suicide with care.
The training does not prepare learners to act as therapists, counsellors or clinicians. Nor does it replace emergency services, clinical care or specialist support. Instead, it equips learners with the awareness and basic skills to notice when support may be needed, respond compassionately and refer someone to a Suicide First Aider where appropriate.
The emphasis throughout is on compassionate prevention, appropriate action and helping someone take a step towards safety and further support.
Who Is This Course For?
Suicide Awareness is designed for anyone who would like to feel more confident recognising when someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts and understanding how to respond with care.
with no previous training or experience needed, this course is relevant across a wide range of settings, including:
This course works well as a standalone suicide prevention awareness session. It can also be used as a first step towards the full-day Suicide First Aid course for learners who need more in-depth suicide intervention skills.
It is especially useful for organisations that want more people to feel able to recognise possible warning signs, respond with care and know how to refer someone onwards.
What will learners gain from the course?
On completion of this suicide awareness course, learners will have developed a stronger understanding of suicide prevention and the role they can play in helping someone move towards further support.
Learners will explore how to:
- Recognise when someone may be thinking about suicide
- Develop an understanding of suicidal thoughts, behaviour and some of the factors that may contribute to them
- Distinguish between suicidal thoughts and behaviour
- Consider the difference between intention and outcome
- Understand the wider impact of suicide
- Use the Suicide-Safety Guide to support an appropriate referral
- Refer someone to a Suicide First Aider
- Approach conversations about suicide with care, compassion and greater confidence
The course is practical, structured and supportive. Learners are not expected to have all the answers. Instead, they are given space to build awareness, recognise when someone may need help and understand the appropriate next step.
Suicide is discussed with sensitivity and respect throughout the session.
The Suicide Awareness course is delivered over 3.5 hours.
The course is delivered by experienced suicide prevention trainers either face-to-face or in person. This format gives learners a balance of knowledge, reflection and practical application. It supports people to engage with the topic in a structured way, while building confidence gradually.
Because the subject can feel personal or emotionally significant, the training is delivered with clear boundaries and care. Learners are encouraged to take part at a level that feels appropriate for them.
The Suicide Awareness course is delivered in two parts, introducing learners to suicide prevention, stigma, suicidal thoughts and behaviour, and the Suicide-Safety Guide.
What Does The Course Cover?
The Suicide First Aid course is structured across just two parts.
Part 1
This opening session gives learners the context needed to approach suicide prevention with greater understanding and compassion.
It considers the barriers stigma can create, alongside the effects suicide can have on individuals, families and communities. Learners will also explore how suicidal thoughts may differ from suicidal behaviour, why intention and outcome are not always the same and some of the factors that can contribute to someone feeling unable to cope.
By building this foundation first, learners are better prepared for the practical elements of the course and for responding with care.
It includes:
- Introduction to suicide prevention
- Stigma and the impact
- The impact suicide bereavement
- Suicidal thoughts compared to behaviour
- Intention and the outcome
- Factors that may cause contribute to suicidal thoughts
- The wider effects of suicide on others
Part 2
The second session of the course brings the learning into a practical context through an audio-visual case study.
Learners are introduced to the Suicide-Safety Guide and explore how it can support them to recognise when someone may be thinking about suicide, ask about suicide with care and make an appropriate referral to a Suicide First Aider.
This section focuses on giving learners a clearer sense of what to do next when they are concerned about someone, while recognising the importance of working within their role and seeking further support.
It includes:
- An audiovisual case study
- Introduction to the Suicide-Safety Guide
- Recognising when someone may be thinking about suicide
- Asking about suicide with care
- Referring someone to a Suicide First Aider
What Will Learners Receive?
On completion of this course, learners receive resources to support their continued learning and renewed confidence in the subject.
Course takeaways include:
These resources give learners a way to revisit key learning after the session and continue building their understanding of suicide prevention, appropriate referral and further support.
Why Choose Changing Minds Training?
Changing Minds Training delivers suicide prevention and mental health training with care, clarity and a practical focus.
Conversations about suicide can feel daunting. People may be unsure whether to ask directly, worry about using the wrong words or feel uncertain about what should happen next. This course offers a structured introduction to suicide prevention, helping learners recognise concern and understand how to guide someone towards further support.
Led by Founding Director Olivia-Louise Hamilton, Changing Minds Training draws on lived experience alongside professional experience across clinical, emergency and community settings. This helps create learning that is compassionate, grounded and relevant to real situations.
Our Suicide Awareness training is:
- Practical and confidence-building
- Delivered with sensitivity and respect
- Suitable for personal and professional settings
- Clear about appropriate referral and further support
- Accessible to learners with no previous experience
- Delivered by experienced suicide prevention trainers
- Useful as a standalone session or an introduction to Suicide First Aid
The end goal is to help you feel more able to recognise when someone may need support, respond with care and take an appropriate next step.
Public & Private Suicide Awareness Training Course Delivery
This course is suited to anyone from groups and organisations to individuals.
Public Courses
These public courses for clinical and care teams, are a practical option for individuals and small groups who want to develop their understanding of suicide prevention and learn how to make an appropriate referral to a Suicide First Aider.
They can be particularly helpful for people in workplace, community or personal settings who would value greater confidence in recognising when someone may need further support.
Private Courses
This private course is delivered exclusively for one organisation, giving staff or volunteers the opportunity to learn together.
This can be particularly valuable where you want your team to develop a shared understanding of suicide prevention and follow a consistent approach to recognising concern, asking about suicide and making an appropriate referral.
The Suicide Awareness course is available for groups of up to 20 learners.
Individual Rate
Group Rate
Is This The Right Course For Your Organisation?
Our Suicide Awareness course provides a sensitive and accessible introduction to suicide prevention. It’s well suited to organisations that want to build awareness across their teams without asking every learner to complete the full-day Suicide First Aid course.
Learners explore suicidal thoughts and behaviour, consider how to recognise when someone may need support and learn how to make an appropriate referral to a Suicide First Aider using the Suicide-Safety Guide.
It can be a helpful starting point for organisations that want their people to feel more prepared for difficult conversations and clearer about what to do next.
If you are deciding between Suicide Awareness and Suicide First Aid, Changing Minds Training can help you choose the most suitable option for your team.
Enquire About Suicide Awareness Training Courses
Ready to bring suicide awareness training to your clinical and care teams?
Get in touch to discuss private training for your team or explore whether Suicide Awareness or the full-day Suicide First Aid course is the most suitable option.
Please contact Changing Minds Training for current course dates, availability and pricing.
- Call Us Directly01737 632279
- Send an Emailenquiries@changingmindstraining.com
- Business Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM