Guyana Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training
The Guyana Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training aims to (1) increase knowledge about suicide, depression, and trauma, (2) address beliefs and attitudes about suicide and mental illness, (3) reduce reluctance to intervene and stigma of mental illness, and (4) increase self-efficacy and skills to intervene with a person at risk of suicide in Guyana. Additionally, workshop attendees are trained and certified to conduct of the evidence-based Columbia Protocol — also known as the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C‐SSRS) and related suicide safety planning.
Learn more about our previous trainings
- Guyana Service Learning and Cultural Immersion Program Addresses Suicide Prevention
- Guyana Learning and Cultural Immersion Programme: understanding and preventing suicide in Guyana
- American University hosts suicide prevention workshop
Training Opportunities
Upcoming Training
July 2023
Dates and times to be announced
Description: FREE Online 4-Day Training Series to Prevent Suicide and Promote Healing in Guyana.
- Day 1: increase knowledge about suicide, depression, and trauma in Guyana
- Day 2: address attitudes about suicide and mental illness
- Day 3: develop skills to intervene with persons at risk of suicide
- Day 4: enhance habits of positivity, self-compassion, and healing
Attendance: This is a 4-part series, 3-hours per day for anyone interested in learning skills to intervene in suicide crisis among Guyanese individuals. You can attend one or more days at your discretion.
Cost: Free!
Registration: [Closed]
Previous Training
- July 12-15, 2022
- July 30-31, 2019
- July 25-27, 2018
Resources
Suicide Resources
Guyana Inter-agency Suicide Prevention
Helpline:
223-0001
223-0009
600-7896
623-4444
Email: guyagency@yahoo.com
BBM PINS: 2BE55649, 2BE56020
Twitter: guyanaagency
WhatsApp: 600-7896; 623-4444
Mental Health Resources
- Nadine Ramsarran We Care Holistic Psychotherapy Services: 647-0985
- Dr. Moses John Roderique, Dr. MJR’s Consultancy: +592-675-2448, mosesjohnroderique@gmail.com
- Mrs Sharon Dyall, Guiding Minds Therapy: 667-0330
- Anju Vivekananda, Inner Peace Psychotherapy and Counselling Services: 613-9255, innerpeacegy@gmail.com
- Solutions Counseling Services: 643-2979
- Tull Clinical Psychotherapy Services: 697-5528
- Ministry of Human Services and Social Security Hotline Services: 914
- ASPIRE Youth Network: aspireyngy@gmail.com
- Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination: 225-7283; WhatsApp: +592-600-5124
- Bhiro Harry, Psychiatrist at Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital: 671-1878*
- Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association: 225-6493*
- Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation: 226-7210; 226-7214; 226-7219; 227-2240*
- Ministry of Public Health (Mental Health Unit): Hotline: 655-SAFE (7233); 226-1407; 226-7400*
Trauma Resources
- Michelle Amsterdam, Trauma Therapist: 676-8557*
- Corriverton Domestic Violence Counselling Centre: 333-3887*
- Help and Shelter: 225-4731; 227-8353; 227-3454; www.hands.org.gy*
- Ministry of Social Protection (Childcare and Protection Agency): 227-0138; 225-6545; 227-0979*
- Ministry of Social Protection (Probation and Social Services Department): 231-6556*
Addiction/Substance Abuse Resources
- Phoenix Recovery Project: 220-6825
- Al-Anon: 233-5844; 600-0832
*May not be in service
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda Support and Referral Centre: 1268-463-5555
letsconnectproject.com/lifelines/antiguaandbarbuda
Barbados
Samaritans of Barbados Hotline: 246-429-9999
E-mail Helpline: samaritansbdos@yahoo.com
Emergency/Ambulance Services Hotline: 511
Crisis Center Hotline: 246-435-6134
Brazil
Centro de Valorização da Vida (CVV): www.cvv.org.br; blog.opencounseling.com/hotlines-br
AMA National Association: 90035191
CVV Sao Paulo National Association: 55-11-31514109
CVV – Belém: 91-3223-0074
CVV – Belo Horizonte: 31-334-4111
CVV – Cuiaba: 65- 321- 4111
CVV – Rio De Janeiro: 21- 233-9191
CVV – Copacabana: 21- 236- 0536
Cayman Islands
Crisis Center Hotline: 345-943-2422
Other Hotlines and Resources: alexpantonfoundation.ky/emergency-contacts
Curaçao (Netherlands)
Dominica
Emergency Hotline: 999
Dominican Republic
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
Línea Familiar Contigo (emotional support for children/adolescents): 809-636-3507
Grenada
Telephone: 911
Telephone: 439-1231
Haiti
1-800-273-8255 (free and confidential support, 24/7)
Haiti Emergency Hotline: 114
Asistans Sikolojik an IJANS: 2919-9000
Jamaica
Hotline: 1-888-429-KARE (5273)
Hotline: 876-930-1152
Saint Kitts and Nevis
National Suicide Prevention Line: 800-273-8255
Social Emergency and Crisis Center: 09-8392-4005
Saint Lucia
Suicide Hotline: 203 National Mental Wellness Center: 758-452-7393
St Lucia Crisis Centre: 1-758-453-1521
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suicide Hotline: 9784-456-1044
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Emergency Hotline: 999 and 911
Sint Maarten
Crisis Line: 520-5556
Other Services: www.mhf.sx/care/crisis-intervention-5
Suriname
Suriname Emergency Hotline Telephone: 112
Trinidad and Tobago
Hotlines and Resources: www.findcarett.com/helplines
Lifeline: 800-5588; 866-5433; 220-3636
Hotline: 868-645-2800; 868-645-6616
Venezuela
Telefono de la Esperanza: 0241-8433308
- Safety Planning Intervention for Suicide Prevention: Free, online course describes safety planning intervention and describes steps in creating a safety plan.
- Safety Planning Guide Highlights most important points to cover in developing a safety plan.
- Patient Safety Template: Filled out collaboratively by clinician and patient and used independently by patient to help ensure safety. Safety planning guide used to ask to facilitate development of plan.
- Crisis Support Plan Used by patient and clinician to enlist social support from a friend or relative should a suicide crisis recur. Explains roles that supportive individuals can take to help protect person at risk for suicide.
- Patient Care Management :Primary Care Pocket Guide, SAFE-T Pocket Card, Safety Planning Guide, Patient Safety Plan Template, and Crisis Support Plan
- Stanley Brown Safety Plan (Apple Devices)
- Beyond Now Suicide Safety Plan (Android Devices)
- American Association of Suicidology - A Handbook for Survivors of Suicide
- Beyond Surviving: 25 Suggestions for Survivors
- American Association of Suicidology and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention - A Manager’s Guide to Suicide Postvention in the Workplace: 10 Action Steps for Dealing with the Aftermath of Suicide
- Special Considerations for Telling Your Own Story: Best Practices for Presentations by Suicide Loss and Suicide Attempt Survivors
- Severity Measure for Depression PHQ-9 Adult
- Severity Measure for Depression—Child Age 11–17
- Depression: what you should know
- Living with someone with depression?
- Staying positive and preventing depression as you get older
- American Psychiatric Association - DSM-5-TR Online Assessment Measures
- Severity Measure for Depression—Parent/Guardian of Child Age 6-17
- Virtual Hope Box (Android Devices)
- Virtual Hope Box (Apple Devices)
- How to Develop Self-Compassion by Russ Harris
- Not Today, Negativity!: 5 Habits of Positivity to Cope, Hope and Be Well in Tough Times by Dr. Oneeka Williams
- UCLA - Free Guided Meditations
Shaw, C., Stuart, J., Thomas, T., and Kõlves, K. (2022). Suicidal behaviour and ideation in Guyana: A systematic literature review. The Lancet Regional Health-Americas, 11, 100253.
Ministry of Public Health – Guyana (2014). National Mental Health Action Plan: 2015-2020. Pan American Organization and World Health Organization. p19-24.
Arora, P. G., and Persaud, S. (2020). Suicide among Guyanese youth: Barriers to mental health help-seeking and recommendations for suicide prevention. International Journal of School and Educational Psychology, 8(sup1), 133-145.
Arora, P. G., Persaud, S., and Parr, K. (2020). Risk and protective factors for suicide among Guyanese youth: Youth and stakeholder perspectives. International journal of psychology, 55(4), 618-628.
Groh, C. J., Anthony, M., and Gash, J. (2018). The aftermath of suicide: a qualitative study with Guyanese families. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 32(3), 469-474.
Johnson, E. J. (2019). An exploratory research on police officers role to reduce adolescents suicide in Guyana. Vulnerable children and youth studies, 14(2), 129-141.
Denton, E. G. D. (2021). Community-based participatory research: Suicide prevention for youth at highest risk in Guyana. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 51(2), 189-196.
Persaud, S., Rosenthal, L., and Arora, P. G. (2019). Culturally informed gatekeeper training for youth suicide prevention in Guyana: A pilot examination. School Psychology International, 40(6), 624-640.
Persaud, S. (2019). Initial examination of a culturally-informed gatekeeper training for youth suicide prevention in Guyana. Pace University.
- Stabroek News. (2021). Three studies to help Guyana address ‘suicide pandemic.’
- Rawlins and Bishop. (2018). Trying To Stop Suicide: Guyana Aims To Bring Down Its High Rate.
- Mohammed, F. (2015). Mohammed, F. (2015). Guyana: Mental illness, witchcraft, and the highest suicide rate in the world.
- Handy, G. (2016). How Guyana is trying to combat its high suicide rate.
- Safety Planning Intervention for Suicide Prevention: Free, online course describes safety planning intervention and describes steps in creating a safety plan
- Education Development Center - Counseling on Access to Lethal Means
- Education Development Center - Preventing Suicide in Emergency Departments
- Pan American Health Organization - Preventing Self-harm/suicide: Empowering Primary Health Care Providers
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center - Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Primary Care Practices
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center - Suicide Prevention among LGBT Youth: A Workshop for Professionals Who Serve Youth
- Center for Practice Innovation (CPI) - CSSRS Training
Research
We are currently investigating the effectiveness of the suicide prevention training. We are also interested in examining individual and systemic factors impacting suicide rates in Guyana and robust, culturally tailored interventions to reduce suicide risk. If you are interested in collaborating on studies, please reach out to us at guyanagatekeeper@gmail.com with subject line “Guyana Research Collaboration.”