The SafeSide Program

Program Type

Education or Training Program

Cost

$500 or less

Evidence Type

Empirically-Defined Evidence

SPRC Comprehensive Approach

Identify and Assist, Effective Care/Treatment, Respond to Crisis, Reduce Access to Means, Connectedness

Program or Intervention Summary

SafeSide Prevention offers evidence-based suicide prevention education through the sustainable and scalable InPlace® Learning model. The recovery-oriented approach aligns with Zero Suicide initiatives, delivering video workshops co-taught by clinical & lived experience experts and ongoing support to strengthen organizational prevention practices. The program is designed for staff in diverse workforces including government, healthcare, community organizations, schools, and any workforce supporting people at risk for suicide.

The SafeSide Program offers:

  • Staff members with evidence-based skills for confident, hopeful client connections
  • Supervisors with unified language for efficient consultation and response planning
  • Systems leaders with tools to strengthen prevention practices, align policies with research, and metrics for continuous improvements
  • Workforce developers with role-based pathways for recovery-oriented prevention training

The SafeSide Framework provides a systematic approach to suicide prevention organized around four core tasks:

  • Connect: Ask about suicide and work to understand the person’s experience
  • Assess: Organize and describe what you learn about the person for prevention and planning
  • Respond: Skills and interventions to help teams feel confident they have given the person at risk the best care and support
  • Extend: Use skills to extend support into a person’s life, not just in treatment

More than just a workshop, InPlace® Learning delivers sustainable staff development through comprehensive video-guided workshops (3-5 hours) featuring expert clinical & lived experience faculty, skill demonstrations, and structured group discussion and practice exercises, and pre- and post-workshop evaluations. InPlace® Learning extends beyond initial sessions with ongoing learning opportunities including:

  • Monthly “Office Hours” with clinical & lived experience faculty
  • Access to our online forum
  • Regular content updates and micro-learning refreshers
  • Implementation support resources

Efficacy evaluations of the SafeSide Program demonstrate significant improvements in knowledge, self-efficacy, and transfer of learning to practice among clinical and non-clinical staff. After completing the program, workplace teams share a common language and approach to suicide prevention, enabling more effective team-based care and consistent experiences for people at risk. Read more: https://safesideprevention.com/articles?category=evidence

Type Education or Training Program
Setting Inpatient mental health facility, Community mental health facility, PK-12 School
People Medical Professionals, Mental Health Professionals, People in Particular Occupations, Other
Languages English
Study Method Quantitative Design, Qualitative Design, Mixed Methods Design
Implementer Requirement Adults, Teens, Peer Consultants
Training Requirement Yes
Delivery Options Virtual live
Risk and Protective Factors Stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness, Easy access to lethal means of suicide among people at risk, Effective coping and problem-solving skills, Support from partners, friends, and family, Feeling connected to others, Availability of consistent and high quality physical and behavioral healthcare

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