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KCR Community Resources in Kelowna is pioneering new suicide awareness and crisis response workshops for frontline workers.
The program has been developed by Christina MacIsaac, a local consultant who was instrumental in developing the original curriculum used for training crisis line responders in the Central Okanagan region.
“We were fortunate that Christina was able to take on the creation of this curriculum as she has extensive experience and training in both crisis response and in non-profit management,” says Ellen Boelcke, executive director of KCR Community Resources. “She worked with our amazing Crisis Line team to ensure the information was current and relevant.”
The initiative is directed toward meeting the escalating mental health needs of participants and customers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 global health crisis and it's possible due to the KGH Foundation and the "We See You Campaign."
This new initiative underlines the importance of specialized training in tackling mental health issues, a concern that has seen a significant surge during the pandemic period.
“This type of training is critical at this time for all workers and we are grateful to the KGH Foundation for their support,” adds Boelcke.
“The training empowers frontline workers, providing tools and resources they can act to support those participants who may be facing crises, helping them to de-escalate and to identify viable options for themselves.”
The pilot workshop will include two three-hour sessions, coming up on June 7 and 14 between 1:00 – 4:00 pm at KCR Community Resources. Participants must attend both sessions. Anyone interested in participating in this pilot session for free, please email Dorothee.
“We initially tried to keep the workshop to one three-hour session, appreciating how busy everyone is these days” explains Boelcke. “However, the feedback from our first pilot group was that they wanted time to practice scenarios so that they were more confident moving into real-life situations. We listened to them and are ready to pilot this new, more interactive workshop now."
The training will prepare frontline workers to navigate a variety of situations with participants and topics covered include:
- Suicide & Crisis Awareness
- Suicide & Crisis Response
- Communication
- Supports & Resources
- Self Care
