Umatter® Suicide Prevention Awareness and Skills Training

The Center for Health and Learning’s Umatter® Suicide Prevention Awareness and Skills Training offers stand-alone 2 hour virtual live session to enhance knowledge, comfort, and skills to identify those at risk for suicide in your organization or community. Including resources to get help, Umatter® Suicide Prevention Awareness and Skills Training provides the fundamental knowledge to build a suicide prevention-aware community or workplace.

Effective January 1, 2025, the registration fee has increased to $25 in order for us to continue providing you with the high-quality trainings you expect from CHL. If you have difficulty paying the fee, please contact us for scholarship consideration.

This training is designed and presented by Center for Health and Learning (CHL) under funding from the VT Department of Mental Health to the VT Suicide Prevention Center, a public-private partnership between VT DMH and CHL.

About this Training:

Participants learn basic knowledge and skills of suicide prevention including societal myths and attitudes, use of sensitive language, risk factors and warning signs, protective factors, considerations for populations at risk, examples of what to say and do, and local and national resources for help. Participants learn a three-step process for talking with someone who presents with risk for suicide. This learning exchange includes a discussion of best practices for suicide prevention in your organization or community setting.

About the Trainer:

Cristina Maddocks, M.S. (she/her) Suicide Prevention and Umatter® Program Specialist

Cristina joined CHL in October 2023 with 20 years experience in the fields of mental health and education. Cristina’s experience includes working at two designated agencies in Vermont, an Executive Director position at an early education and childcare program, and working in mental health non-profit organizations in Massachusetts. Cristina aims to create connections and rapport to promote change, reduce stigma associated with mental health, and advocate for youth and families within their home, school, and community settings. Her experience as a clinician in various settings provides a foundation for understanding the strengths and challenges of the systems of care and how to support those navigating through it.

Cristina loves living in the Green Mountains with her husband and three children…and a hound dog named Chewy. Reading good books, spending time at the lake with family, and weekends spent cheering on the sidelines of youth sports are a few of Cristina’s current joys.

Who should attend: Anyone interested in preventing suicide. General and inclusive across organizations, demographics, and communities.

Objectives of Training:

● Know basic information about suicide prevention

● Identify protective factors, risk factors, and warning signs

● Learn the 3-step intervention process and practice it

● Increase confidence and competence to respond

● Understand your role in suicide prevention either in your school, organization, or community