safeTALK offers valuable skills to everyone 15 and older and requires no formal training or prior experience in suicide prevention. Because it only takes half a day to learn, safeTALK is an excellent tool for people who want to become alert to the dangers of suicide in a convenient timeframe. Although formal caregivers such as social workers and counselors employ safeTALK skills, the program is also used by students, teachers, community volunteers, first responders, military personnel, police, public and private employees, and professional athletes—among many others. By providing a universal model with adaptable components, safeTALK offers useful skills to every audience.

safeTALK workshops are provided by registered LivingWorks trainers. In order to facilitate the workshop, trainers must attend a safeTALK Training for Trainers (T4T) and extensively study the program. They must also participate in a rigorous quality control process and maintain their skills by presenting safeTALK workshops on a regular basis.

In addition to the trainer, each safeTALK workshop includes a community resource person. The community resource person is on hand to recommend local suicide prevention connections that can assist someone at risk. Referring someone to these connections is an important part of the safeTALK model. In addition, the community resource person can provide assistance and support if any participants are struggling with the subject of suicide in the workshop. 

safeTALK is a powerful experience. You can expect to feel challenged, empowered, and hopeful. Your safeTALK trainer will demonstrate the importance of suicide alertness and help you identify ways people invite help when they’re at risk. safeTALK’s steps provide a simple yet effective method to engage with people at risk and connect them with resources that can carry out a full-scale intervention. At the end of the workshop, you’ll have a chance to practice these skills firsthand. All in all, you can expect to leave safeTALK with practical knowledge of how to identify someone at risk and link them to life-saving resources.

Many organisations will provide CPD credits for attending LivingWorks safeTALK. As at June 2023: 

• Australian Psychological Society (APS)- 4 hours, accredited, details uploaded by member.
• Australian Counselling Association (ACA)- 4 points, accredited, details uploaded by member.
• NSW Education Accreditation Authority (NESA)- 4 hours, accredited, details uploaded by LivingWorks to eTAMS once the training is completed. For teachers/early childhood educators.
• Australian Association of Social Work (AASW)- 4 hours, self-identified hours, details uploaded by member.
• Royal Australian College GPs (RACGP)- 4 hours, self-identified hours, details uploaded by member.
• Australian College of Nursing (ACN)- 4 hours, self-identified hours, details uploaded by member.

Although safeTALK and ASIST are separate programs, they are designed to complement each other. The two-day ASIST workshop provides skills to intervene with someone at risk, working with them to help them feel less overwhelmed and suicidal. Perhaps most importantly, the ASIST model also involves creating a safety plan to avoid the danger of suicide in the future.

It would not be possible to learn and practice all of the ASIST skills in safeTALK’s half-day timeframe, although many who attend safeTALK later decide to take ASIST. What safeTALK does do is help participants identify people who are at risk, confidently ask them about the topic of suicide, and connect them with resources that can help them stay safe. This might be a professional caregiver or someone trained in ASIST—often, they’re one and the same! By providing a connection to intervention resources, safeTALK offers an important avenue to assistance when people need it most.

Many communities and organizations use both safeTALK and ASIST. By working in concert, people with safeTALK and ASIST training create a larger, more effective network of suicide intervention resources. The result is that those at risk of suicide are more likely to have their invitations for help recognized—and more likely to get the help they need in staying safe. 

The cost of attending a safeTALK workshop varies by location for a number of reasons. In some instances, community organizations may subsidize workshop costs. You will be able to see these costs when you find a local training.

The small financial return to LivingWorks offsets development costs, participant materials, trainer support, and quality assurance. As a social enterprise, we finance all of these costs without subsidies, government grants, or tax benefits.