Ohana ZERO Suicide’s 30-minute course helps break the stigma around mental health and empowers you with knowledge that could help others
It is Mental Health Awareness Week, and one way you can make a difference is learning to recognise the signs that someone may be struggling.
In just five months, over 50,000 people have completed mental health charity Ohana ZERO Suicide’s 30-minute suicide prevention training.
This short session guides participants through the first steps towards saving a life, from identifying signs that someone is suicidal, employing the correct language and asking appropriate questions, to directing that person to help.
Over 30 Irish companies are encouraging staff to avail of the training this week, available online at ohana.ie, including Bank of Ireland, Morgan McKinley, Teneo and Boston Scientific.
Clodagh Fleming, Director of Ohana ZERO Suicide believes knowing the strategy can make a big difference.
“Our goal at Ohana ZERO suicide is simple: help save lives by making our free and accessible training available,” Clodagh says.
“It will enable you to SEE the signs that a friend, family member or colleague might be struggling, support you in what to SAY and SIGNPOST you to the help available. The message is: Show you Care, Ask the Question, Make the Call.”
Healing power of nature
The Mental Health Foundation announced nature as the theme for this year’s awareness week, and Ohana ZERO Suicide Champion and Mrs Brown’s Boys star Eilish O’Carroll is encouraging people to get outdoors with loved ones, and most importantly, to check in with each other.
“During Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to encourage everybody to get outside, experience nature and create an environment to talk and listen,” Eilish says.
“We are so lucky in Ireland to have hundreds of beautiful places in nature – and being out for a simple walk can create the ideal scenario to help someone in need to open up.”
Main image: Liza Summer from Pexels
