On March 5th and 6th, The Long Walk Home hosted its second ASIST workshop for Veterans and their family members at the Venice Gardens Civic Association in Venice, FL. ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is provided and taught by LivingWorks, a world leader in suicide prevention training. The two-day program is a proven method for improving trainee readiness, increasing counseling skills, and most importantly: saving lives. The course was led by two certified ASIST trainers, Samantha Kalilikane and Lisa Clavier. Lisa also runs an organization called Kiersten’s Ride, in memory of a daughter she lost to suicide.
For us at The Long Walk Home (TLWH), saving the lives of Veterans is priority number one. Being able to educate the community through ASIST is an invaluable resource, for there is no price that can be put on a human life–especially the life of a Veteran who has sacrificed to keep others safe. We will be providing several more ASIST workshops in the future; you can visit our events page or follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with upcoming events. TWLH also offers a Mentorship Program, providing personalized support and guidance for Veterans and their families, empowering them in the transition from military to civilian life. For those interested in directly helping a Veteran, becoming a Mentor is another excellent opportunity to put some skin in the game.
TLWH would like to thank the local community for making its second ASIST workshop a success. To Joe Max, a local Englewood resident who donated breakfast and coffee. And also to the Venice Gardens Civic Association, for providing tables, chairs, and a private location. Finally, TLWH is incredibly proud of all eight trainees for doing their part to create a suicide-safer community for Veterans and military families in Florida.
