T4T enrolment is open to anyone, and offers an opportunity to make a meaningful, long-term commitment to suicide prevention in a community or organization. However, becoming a Registered safeTALK Trainer also requires the investment of considerable time and resources.

Please note: candidates must have attended the two-day ASIST workshop prior to the the safeTALK T4T.

Here are some of the factors that tend to increase the likelihood of becoming a successful safeTALK trainer:

• You have completed an ASIST workshop
• You are a skilled presenter
• You have good group facilitation skills
• You are committed to promoting suicide safety through open and direct discussion
• You are proficient with PowerPoint (if you want to customize the safeTALK experience)

Even if you don’t feel you have all of these skills, commitment and willingness to learn count for a great deal. With enough diligence, many people have the capacity to be excellent trainers.

After completing a T4T, attendees become Provisional Trainers with LivingWorks Education. A trainer’s first safeTALK workshop should take place shortly after attending a T4T so that the experience and process are still fresh in mind. By presenting three workshops within a year of attending their T4T, Provisional Trainers become fully-fledged Registered Trainers with LivingWorks. After that, trainers must present the workshop twice a year to maintain their registration.

Each safeTALK trainer has a different set of circumstances. Some are professionals in the mental health, occupational safety, or suicide prevention fields, and their organizations allocate a portion of their time and resources to providing workshops. Other trainers deliver safeTALK as a full-time career, providing consultancy and training to local agencies, corporations, and communities. Still others offer the training on a part-time basis even if their day-to-day work isn’t directly related to suicide prevention.

There is no one right way to integrate safeTALK workshops into your life and career. While each trainer’s personal and professional circumstances are different, the goal of equipping people with suicide alertness skills remains the same. Equally important is ensuring that you have the time and resources to commit to delivering safeTALK effectively. This is particularly vital if you are part of an agency or organization—everyone involved should be aware of the commitment, time, and resources necessary to become a trainer.

For more information about these requirements and expectations, download the Essential Information for safeTALK Trainer Candidates PDF.

Each safeTALK T4T follows the same standardized schedule:

• Day 1 morning: Observation and participation in an actual safeTALK training.
• Day 1 morning: Study and preparation to present an assigned part of safeTALK.
• Day 2 morning: Annotated demonstration of safeTALK, integrating what participants have learned about the training process•Day 2 afternoon: Participants present the part of safeTALK that they prepared for on Day 1. The T4T ends with a look forward to a new trainer’s first safeTALK workshop, including some tips on implementation, use of technology, and policies and procedures that all safeTALK trainers are expected to follow.
• Post-T4T: Additional reading and planning in preparation for the first safeTALK workshop.

By participating in a safeTALK T4T, you’ll receive the following:

• safeTALK Trainer Manual and study guide
• A USB drive with the safeTALK presentation slides
• A DVD with two versions of safeTALK—one with the video co-trainer and one without
• safeTALK video vignettes to select based on your audience’s needs
• safeTALK sticker, brochure, wallet card, lanyard, and badge

To host your own subsequent safeTALK workshops after completing your T4T, you can order safeTALK participant kits from LivingWorks.

Provisional and Registered trainers have access to a wealth of information, technical, and marketing support from LivingWorks, including:

• Access to other LivingWorks programs for a comprehensive suicide prevention initiative
• Networking opportunities with other trainers and suicide prevention advocates
• Support and consultation to improve training and workshop planning skills
• Quality assurance and access to workshop participant feedback
• Assistance with materials shipping and delivery
• Updated information and community news
• Marketing and advocacy support to increase enrollment and reach new audiences

For more information on how LivingWorks can provide assistance with any of the above, please email info@livingworks.com.au.

safeTALK is especially valuable because it can bring suicide alertness to people outside of traditional caregiving roles. Without a workshop such as safeTALK, many of these individuals would not have access to the knowledge and skills to intervene and refer someone to an intervention resource. As a safeTALK trainer, this is where you can make a difference. Through you, hundreds of people each year can learn these life-saving techniques, alerting them to invitations for help within the community and empowering them to offer assistance.

LivingWorks conducts Open T4Ts, which are available to anyone, and Contract T4Ts, which are held when specifically requested by a community or organization. The cost of attending a T4T varies by region. Many schools, agencies, and organizations are willing to sponsor or subsidize this cost. The financial investment is a small price to pay given the potential to change and save so many lives, and is also one of the most cost-effective ways to bring long-term suicide alertness skills to a community. A single trainer can train hundreds of participants a year to apply the TALK steps when they notice an invitation for help. 

Full payment is required upon registration to secure a seat at a T4T. Payment can be made using VISA, MasterCard, check, an authorized purchase order (PO), or an authorized individual military travel order (ITO). You can contact LivingWorks for more details about attending a safeTALK T4T, or you can view upcoming safeTALK T4T sessions. Clicking the registration button at the bottom of each listing will provide additional details such as inclusions, pricing, and cancellation policy.

If you are interested in hosting a safeTALK T4T in your area, please contact safetalk@livingworks.com.au.

ASIST and safeTALK complement each other, and many LivingWorks trainers provide both workshops to their communities. If you’ve become an ASIST Provisional Trainer by attending a T4T, you've made a big commitment. There's a lot to do in terms of preparing, presenting, and reviewing for your first three ASIST workshops. Becoming a safeTALK trainer also involves making a significant commitment as you get ready for your first three safeTALK trainings.

We encourage you to give yourself time to complete your provisional ASIST trainer obligation before taking on the additional work involved in becoming a safeTALK trainer. Because of the differences between safeTALK and ASIST, and the different trainer skills required by each, giving yourself time to get comfortable as an ASIST trainer first will increase your chances of success as a new safeTALK trainer later. While you are free to make your own decision and attend a safeTALK T4T soon after your ASIST T4T, there is a greater likelihood that you could require post-T4T consultation or mentoring at additional cost if you do so. Please consider this carefully when making your decision.