Suicide Prevention Training

Requirements

  1. Every Soldier / Civilian / Leader / Supervisor / Gatekeepers will receive or participate in ACE Peer Training on an annual basis. ACE Peer Training
  2. All military and civilian personnel will receive Suicide Awareness Training throughout the course of a calendar year. Frequency of training will be linked to trigger events as determined by unit leaders. Awareness Training
  3. ACE Train-the-Trainer or ASIST Training-for-Trainers will be completed by all Gatekeeper personnel (Leaders / Supervisors / Installation Gatekeepers) at least annually. Training for Trainers

Training Audiences


ARFORGEN Units (Reset Phase)

Reset Phase provides a time when the unit should be taking full advantage of completing Soldier and Leader annual training, such as, ACE Peer Training and ACE or ASIST Training-for-Trainer since the focus is on unit level individual training.

Additionally, as could occur during any of the ARFORGEN Phases, holidays and other stressors may be the most common triggers to conduct awareness training. Key events/triggers such as, families reuniting, facing PCS moves at inconvenient times, ongoing economic challenges, involvement in serious misconduct, or concerns over future training/deployments provide opportunistic training at both the small unit level and individual Soldier level. Concerns over the end of Reset and beginning of the Train/Ready Phase will see the reemergence of collective training events which will start pulling Soldiers away from their families again, and at some point the unit will likely be notified for an impending deployment.

 

ARFORGEN Units (Train / Ready Phase)

The Train/Ready Phase will set the stage for the reemergence of collective training events which will start pulling Soldiers away from their families again, and at some point the unit will likely be notified for an impending deployment. Assuming that Soldiers and Leader were able to complete their annual training requirements during Reset, this phase will likely present opportunities to conduct periodic awareness training at the small unit level.

Training Triggers. Though not an inclusive list, training triggers can range from: Discussing a post-suicide case or other cases that involve depression to understand the factors involved; deployment related events; increased levels of collective training away from the family between deployments, changes in economic stresses; holidays; involvement in serious misconduct.

ARFORGEN Units (Deploy Phase)

The Deploy Phase has pre-deployment and post-deployment / reintegration, pre- and post- R&R suicide prevention awareness training requirements. Additionally, key events/triggers throughout the deployment (combat stress experiences, suicide or death of another Soldier, holidays away from families, or problems back home) provide opportunistic training at both the small unit level and individual Soldier level.

Maximizing Chaplains, Behavioral Health Care Specialists, and Combat Stress Teams, in additional to unit leaders during the deployment, in concert with rear-detachment capabilities supporting the families, will provide a multi-layered combination of resources.

Training Triggers. Though not an inclusive list, training triggers can range from: Discussing a post-suicide case or other cases that involve depression to understand the factors involved; deployment related events; problems back home; changes in economic stresses; holidays; and involvement in serious misconduct.

Civilians

DA Civilian employees should receive their annual ACE Peer Training and have periodic suicide awareness training throughout the year. Additionally, those DAC who may be deploying should complete pre-deployment, pre & post R&R, and post deployment training, ideally, with the units they are supporting. Use ARFORGEN where feasible.

Training Triggers. Though not an inclusive list, training triggers can range from: Discussing a post-suicide case or other cases that involve depression to understand the factors involved; deployment related events; increased levels of collective training away from the family between deployments, changes in economic stresses; holidays; involvement in serious misconduct.

Families

Suicide prevention training is available upon request for adult family member who choose to receive the training. Working through the Chaplains or other installation resources, training and counseling is available.

Training Triggers. Though not an inclusive list, training triggers can range from: Discussing a post-suicide case or other cases that involve depression to understand the factors involved; deployment related events; increased levels of collective training away from the family between deployments, changes in economic stresses; holidays; involvement in serious misconduct.

Leader Training (Military & Civilian)

Under Development

Non-ARFORGEN Soldiers and Units

Units not operating within an ARFORGEN cycle of events should ensure that annual ACE training is conducted and maintained at a high level of readiness across the unit for Soldiers and Leaders alike. Take advantage of every opportunity to conduct awareness training at unit level as well as smaller section and individual level. While some training may be formalized and held at the unit or installation level, other training may be very informal and casual occurring at the small unit or individual level.

Training Triggers. Though not an inclusive list, training triggers can range from: Discussing a post-suicide case or other cases that involve depression to understand the factors involved; individual augmentee deployment related events; changes in economic stresses; holidays; involvement in serious misconduct.