Capacity Building for Suicide Prevention

Project Goal: Strengthen Kazakhstan’s ability to confront mental health challenges by promoting increased citizen awareness, formalized government support, and broader civil society capacity. Project Audience(s): Includes but is not limited to mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, school counselors, students of psychology/psychiatry/therapy); school administrators; crisis center hotline workers, law enforcement and first responders, civil society organizations assisting in mental health issues. Project Objectives: Objective 1: Improve the quality of support provided to at-risk individuals thoughformal certification trainings for at least 100 members of the target audience in American and international best practices in the following topics: · 1) recognize signs of someone at risk and promote resources for wellness; · 2) intervene by empowering individuals, mental health practitioners, and first responders to help those exhibiting suicidal thoughts and behaviors; · 3) create and promote post-intervention resources for recovery of suicide survivors; and · 4) counsel and provide relief for families and friends of those lost to suicide (postvention) Objective 2: Increase awareness of mental health challenges and resiliency by developing sustainable resources for suicide prevention efforts in the following areas: · Suicide Prevention Hotline · Training Resources · Peer Groups · Outreach Programs