GREENWOOD — More than 1,000 Hoosiers have died by suicide every year since 2016, according to Indiana Suicide Prevention. A class at Franciscan Health hopes to prevent more deaths by starting hard conversations about self-harm.
The Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST, teaches regular people how to recognize when someone is at risk of hurting themselves.
Tina Hoffman leads the training and said it is more important than ever to break the silence surrounding suicide.
"In the State of Indiana, the second-leading cause of death is suicide for ages 10 to 25. The more times we ask about suicide, it lowers anxiety, it lowers that fear, and it opens up the opportunity to have conversations," Hoffman said.
The people at Thursday's class in Greenwood specifically sought out the training. Hoffman said their willingness to learn is already a sign of progress.
"No one just wanders into a suicide prevention class," Hoffman said. "People come in that door because they're worried about their loved one. They're worried about someone else's loved one. They want to do better in their church. They recognize that somehow the ripple effect of suicide has come into their house."
Hoffman is willing to take her two-day course to any organization that e-mails her because of the lives it could possibly save.
"We're breaking down barriers and taking away stigma by getting people comfortable enough to say, 'I see that you're hurting,'" Hoffman said.
If you or a loved one has thoughts of suicide or self-harm, you can call the National Suicide Hotline at 988.
If you are interested in the ASIST training, e-mail Hoffman at tina.hoffmann@franciscanalliance.org.
-
Creators sue Trump Admin officials for removing ICE monitoring platforms
Several app creators are suing Trump Administration officials, challenging the removal of ICE monitoring platforms on social media sites and citing their first amendment right to free speech.
Crews cleaning up after melting snow in Marion County reveal a lot of litter
Beneath the melting snow in Marion County, litter has been piling up, but crews are stepping in to clean it before we get to spring.
Indiana regulators launch inquiry into rising energy bills
As Hoosiers continue to see rising utility bills, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission announced Tuesday it is launching what it calls an "investigative inquiry" into energy affordability.
Westfield Police hope to strengthen relationships through new patrol model
Westfield police are changing how they patrol the city, moving to a district-based model that will station officers in four distinct quadrants for one to three months at a time.
