Facing Suicide

Umatter® for Schools Fall 2025
2025-11-20 08:30 - 11:30, 2025-11-13 08:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
This 2-session virtual course teaches teams of school staff* about engaging in suicide prevention in the school setting, including overviews of these three school-level outcomes:

Awareness
Curriculum
Protocols

This course includes both asynchronous, self-paced work and live Zoom sessions.
Thursday, November 13, 2025 – 8:30 am – 11:30 am
Thursday, November 20, 2025 – 8:30 am – 11:30 am
Presenter: Cristina Maddocks, M.S. (she/her) Suicide Prevention and Umatter® Program Specialist
*School professionals and designated agency staff working in any school-based capacity

Navigating Collaboration with Differing Levels of Risk Tolerance Around Suicidality
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Online/Virtual
Tolerating and managing suicide risk looks different across the continuum of care. These differences can lead to misaligned expectations and challenging handoffs for individuals at risk.
This free webinar offers a practical framework for understanding how tolerance of suicide risk varies by setting and professional role, and how teams can collaborate to support safe, person-centered care and smoother transitions.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Recognize the function of different settings and professional roles within the suicide care pathway continuum.
Understand factors that affect tolerance of suicide risk in diverse settings.
Identify strategies for addressing different levels of tolerance when collaborating across settings for individuals with suicide risk.
1 FREE CEU approved for the following professions:
Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors
Allied Mental Health Professionals
Psychoanalysts
Psychologists
Social Work

Caring Communities
2025-10-29 10:00 - 23:00
Caring Communities: Guidance for Supporting Survivors of Suicide Loss is a one-hour presentation designed to provide participants with information, resources, and practical guidance on how to support someone who has experienced a recent loss to suicide.

Burlington Out of the Darkness Walk
2025-10-18 09:00 - 11:00 | Veterans Memorial Park Pavillion, 1000 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT, 05403, United States
Join us in a day of hope and healing!
Participate
Register today! There is no registration fee to attend a Community Walk.
Volunteer: Event Committee and Day-of Walk volunteers help to make the Burlington Walk a success.
Sponsorship
Sponsoring the Burlington Walk shows your community and employees that you care about mental health.

An Overview of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
2025-10-16 09:00 - 11:00 | Online/Virtual
The Columbia Protocol: A Public Health Approach to Reducing Suicide, Reducing Liability, and Redirecting Scarce Resources Across States and Nations, in Healthcare & Beyond
This free workshop will review the development of the C-SSRS and its administration, covering its items predictive of increased risk. Participants will learn about how to administer the screening version of the tool and how to interpret results.
This free training led by Adam Lesser, MSW, LCSW, will teach you how to use the C-SSRS to:
Identify if someone is thinking about suicide
Assess the severity of their risk
Determine the right level of support
1.5 FREE CEUs approved for the following professions:
Alcohol and Drug Counselors
Allied Mental Health Professionals
Psychoanalysts
Psychological Examiners
Social Work

CAMS 2025: FALL COHORT & CONSULTATION CALLS
2025-10-10 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-10-03 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-09-26 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-09-19 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-09-12 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-09-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Online/Virtual
The VPQHC CAMS Fall Cohort has two primary elements:
1. CAMS Foundational Online Video Training (3 CEs can be purchased for $36) The cost of the training ($99) is covered through our grants.
2. CAMS Consultation Calls (4 FREE CEs available): After completing the Foundational Online Training clinicians will participate in at least four out of eight CAMS Consultation Calls, scheduled every other week.

Umatter® Suicide Prevention Awareness and Skills Training
2025-10-08 10:00 - 12:00
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.
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.
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.

Central Vermont Out of the Darkness Walk
2025-10-05 08:30 - 23:30 | State House Lawn, 115 State Street, Montpelier, 05633, United States
Join us in a day of hope and healing on the State Capital Lawn!
Register today! There is no registration fee to attend a Community Walk.
Volunteer: Event Committee and Day-of Walk volunteers help to make the Central Vermont Walk a success.
Send an email to evagzaret@gmail.com to submit a volunteer application.
Sponsorship: Sponsoring the Central Vermont Walk shows your community and employees that you care about mental health.

Umatter® Suicide Prevention Awareness Overview
2025-09-30 12:00 - 13:00
To commemorate National Suicide Prevention Month, CHL is offering this Umatter® training free of charge.
When: Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 12:00-1:00pm
Trainer: Cristina Maddocks, M.S. (she/her) Suicide Prevention and Umatter® Program Specialist
Where: Virtual Live Event
Cost: Free
About this Training:
In this workshop, 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, and local and national resources for help. This learning exchange includes a discussion of best practices for suicide prevention in your organization or community setting.
Please contact Cristina Maddocks at cristina@healthandlearning.org for more information.

Not Your Grandma's Bingo
2025-09-28 18:00 - 20:00
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and so we’re dedicating this month’s Bingo Night to help support the Central Vermont Out of the Darkness Walk to fight suicide.
$10/card
All proceeds go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Featuring D.J. J.Rad

Talk Saves Lives
2025-09-27 14:00 - 15:00 | Film House, 62 Lake Street, Burlington, Vermont, 05819, United States
Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is AFSP’s 60-minute flagship suicide prevention education program that covers the scope of this leading cause of death, what the research has found to be the warning signs and risk factors of suicide, and the strategies that prevent it.

Film Screen "Tales of Harsh Gruder"
2025-09-27 02:00 - 17:00 | Film House, 62 Lake Street, Burlington, Vermont, 05819, United States
Please join us at 2pm for “Talk Saves Lives followed by “Tales of Harsh Gruder” a darkly comic yet deeply moving short (30 min.) film that stimulates important conversations about depression, disillusionment, and suicidal thoughts without didactic heavy-handedness. The very real, often comical, complicated and sometimes contradictory actions and circumstances confronting the film’s main characters provokes questions not simple answers – this is no morality play, nor an instructional video. A community Conversation will follow

Pedal for Prevention Gravel Ride
2025-09-20 09:00 - 17:00
Greetings Pedal for Prevention Riders!
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. We are excited to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Please consider a donation in addition to your registration. Every dollar, every rider, every shared moment contributes to breaking the stigma and providing support. All donations are 100% tax-deductible and directly support AFSP’s research, education, advocacy and support programs

Q = Question P = Persuade R = Refer
2025-09-16 09:30 - 11:30
Would you give 90 minutes to save a life?
“Like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in a suicide crisis. Also, like CPR in the Chain of Survival from a life-threatening medical crisis, early recognition of warning signs, early intervention and early professional assessment and care can save lives.” – QPR Institute
NKHS offers QPR introduction to suicide training for adults and caretakers to raise awareness, dispel myths and misconceptions, and teach three skills that can help save a life. A QPR trainee will learn to recognize the warning signs of suicide, how to offer hope, and how to get help.
What to expect in the 90 minute Zoom training:
A pre & post training survey
An interactive training with time for questions, comments, and reactions
Introductory videos
Learn QPR
Review common myths, misconceptions, and statistics about suicide and warning signs of suicidal behavior, how to question, persuade, and refer to offer hope
Certified QPR instructors are available after the formal training to talk with participants. Participants receive Northeast Kingdom, Vermont, and national suicide prevention contacts, the QPR booklet, and a Certificate of Completion.

The Safety Planning Intervention: A Skill Building Training Using the Stanley Brown Tool
2025-09-15 12:00 - 14:00 | Online/Virtual
The Stanley Brown Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) is a brief, evidence-based approach designed to reduce suicide risk by helping individuals recognize warning signs, build coping strategies, and identify sources of support.
This free training offers an overview of the Stanley Brown SPI tool and provides hands-on practice to help participants build confidence in using the intervention with people experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
Earn 2 FREE CEUs upon completion.
Led by Mark Margolis, Psychologist, MA, certified trainer in CALM.

Newport Out of the Darkness Walk
2025-09-13 09:30 - 23:30 | North Country Union High School, 209 Veterans Avenue, Newport, 05855, United States
Together, we’re leading the fight against suicide!
The Community Walks, held in hundreds of cities across the country, are the core of the Out of the Darkness movement, which began in 2004. These events give people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause, and a platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health. Friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers walk side-by-side, supporting each other and in memory of those we’ve lost.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to be there for one another and take steps to safeguard our mental health and prevent suicide.

Rutland Area Out of the Darkness Walk
2025-09-13 09:00 - 23:30 | Main Stree Park Rutand VT, 5 S Main Street, Rutland, VT, 05701, United States
Together, we’re leading the fight against suicide
The Community Walks, held in hundreds of cities across the country, are the core of the Out of the Darkness movement, which began in 2004. These events give people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause, and a platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health. Friends, family members, neighbors and coworkers walk side-by-side, supporting each other and in memory of those we’ve lost.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to be there for one another and take steps to safeguard our mental health and prevent suicide.

Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium
2025-09-11 08:00 - 15:30 | DoubleTree Burlington, 870 Williston Rd, South Burlington, VT, 05403, United States
The day-long conference will include presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities featuring leading voices in the field from Vermont, New England, and beyond. The focus of the event is equitable, sustainable, and comprehensive suicide prevention education with sessions designed for mental health clinicians, peer support workers, advocates & families, individuals with lived experience, healthcare providers, educators, and community members. The Symposium is hosted by the Vermont Collaborative for Practice Improvement & Innovation in partnership with the Vermont Department of Mental Health.

CAMS-4Teens Live Online Training
2025-09-10 12:00 - 16:00 | Online/Virtual
CAMS-4Teens™ was developed to train clinicians on how to adapt and implement the CAMS Framework® and the Suicide Status Form (SSF) for youth ages 12 and older.
The training also provides updated information on the nature, epidemiology, and prevention of youth suicide, including a specific focus on reducing access to lethal means and how to work within and across systems of care.
4 CEs available for purchase from CAMS-Care after completing the training.
Participants need to have previously completed the CAMS Foundational Video, Role Play Training, and Consultation Calls.

Suicide Care for Autistic Youth Training
2025-09-09 12:00 - 13:00
DATE: Tuesday September 9, 2025
TIME: 12PM – 1PM EST
VIRTUAL: a zoom link will be provided to attendees
COST: Free
WHO ITS FOR: PCPs, Care Coordinators, and Mental Health Providers
VTCPAP is proud to partner with the Vermont Center for Children, Youth & Families (VCCYF) to present a one-hour virtual training, Suicide Care for Autistic Youth, led by Lisa Morgan, LCSW-CC, M.Ed., and Brenna Maddox, Ph.D.
The session will cover the prevalence and risk factors associated with autism and suicide, identify key warning signs, and provide practical crisis supports and resources. Participants will leave better equipped to confidently care for autistic patients within their practice.

Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM Conversations)
2025-09-08 12:00 - 14:00 | Online/Virtual
Many people who are at risk of suicide don’t seek help—but they often show signs they’re struggling. Friends, family, and community members are in a powerful position to notice these signals and offer support.
CALM Conversations is a free, no-experience-needed workshop that helps you do just that.
Participants will learn how to:
Recognize suicide warning signs
Talk with someone who may be at risk
Reduce access to lethal means, especially firearms
Offer support in a calm, non-judgmental way
Earn 2 FREE CEUs upon completion.
Led by Mark Margolis, Psychologist, MA, certified trainer in CALM.

Understanding Suicide: Real Stories, Root Causes, and Pathways to Healing
2025-09-04 15:30 - 17:00
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Vermonters aged 15-44. Just as troubling, 14% of high school students report having made a suicide plan in the past year. These startling statistics highlight a national challenge—each year, more than 13 million U.S. adults seriously consider suicide.
Why are so many people in Vermont—and across the country—impacted by suicide? And more importantly, what can we do to help them find hope and healing?
In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we’re bringing together voices from across the field—people with lived experience of suicide, clinicians, and frontline providers—to explore what’s really driving suicidal despair and what we know about how to support people through it.
Panelists will share both personal and professional insights into the emotional, social, and systemic factors that drive suicidality, and the innovative approaches that offer real pathways to recovery. Together, we’ll learn about Four Pines Fund’s work to transform suicide care in Vermont and across the U.S., and explore what compassionate, effective support looks like in practice.

Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) Overview Webinar
2025-08-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Online/Virtual
Dr. Kevin Crowley will discuss key considerations for using CAMS as an assessment and treatment model and will discuss the research base and studies supporting this model. Participants will learn about opportunities to participate in Free CAMS trainings.
1 CE available
Learning Objectives:
1.) Describe opportunities and challenges of the CAMS framework.
2.) Describe the evidence base supporting the CAMS framework
3.) Identify the primary elements of the CAMS framework.
This FREE webinar is offered with funding from Four Pines Fund and the Vermont Department of Mental Health.

Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) Overview Webinar
2025-08-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Online/Virtual
Dr. Kevin Crowley will discuss key considerations for using CAMS as an assessment and treatment model and will discuss the research base and studies supporting this model. Participants will learn about opportunities to participate in Free CAMS trainings.
Learning Objectives:
1.) Describe opportunities and challenges of the CAMS framework.
2.) Describe the evidence base supporting the CAMS framework
3.) Identify the primary elements of the CAMS framework.
This FREE webinar is offered with funding from Four Pines Fund and the Vermont Department of Mental Health.
