People of every age, demographic, gender, and ethnicity are at risk of suicide—including coaching clients. Any topic for which clients seek coaching could be a pathway to them telling us about thoughts of suicide. But because of stigma, shame, and fear, these thoughts often go unspoken, unrecognized.

Recognizing and addressing this doesn’t require us to become mental health experts. By becoming suicide responsive, we not only gain the ability to recognize and respond effectively to clients who may be having thoughts of suicide—we strengthen our existing coaching competencies, and increase understanding, trust, and safety in every coaching relationship.

This practical and empowering session provides tools and strategies to help coaches:

• Acknowledge the stigma surrounding suicide and the impact of that on our role as possible helpers
• Recognize whether a client may be thinking of suicide
• Ask directly about suicide
• Know how to respond to a “Yes”
• Connect the person thinking about suicide to safety resources
• Adopt life promotion for ourselves and our clients as a cornerstone of suicide prevention

Coaches, too, can be part of a suicide-safer community.

 

Presenters

Lu Ripley

Lu has been working in the field of  education and health promotion for over 40 years, including several years in the Downtown Eastside Vancouver as an education and prevention lead in addiction services with Vancouver Coastal Health. She holds degrees from York University and the University of British Columbia. Since 2011, Lu has worked as Director of Community Learning and Engagement at the Crisis Centre of BC. She is also a LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills coach and safeTALK trainer.

Maddy Brown

Maddy is a certified Mental Fitness Coach through Positive Intelligence. In addition to her coaching practice, she also co-leads youth workshops in mental fitness and healthy conflict. Maddy chairs the PQ for Schools Community of Practice, and is a founding member of the PQ Safeguarding Committee.

Before becoming a coach, Maddy volunteered at the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC for six years. The skills she developed and experiences she had there sparked her interest in coaching, and ignited her passion for educating coaches about the value of being suicide alert.