It would be difficult to find any family that hasn’t been affected by suicide. It’s the 10th-leading cause of death in the U.S. for all ages and the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15-24.

In Alabama, the suicide rate of 15.4 is higher than the homicide rate (9.7) in Alabama and the nation. In 2015, 93 youth suicides occurred, 78.5 percent of which were males of all races.

An Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) presentation set for next week will examine the topic of suicide, including how to identify those at risk and what resources are available to intervene in a loved one’s decision. The two-day event coincides with May being Mental Health Month.

Bill Giguere, development officer with the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama Inc., said suicide is a topic that “very relevant to everybody.” When he was 11, Giguere’s 15-year-old brother committed suicide.

“It’s one of the most challenging things for a family to deal with, because you don’t know where to begin with the grief process,” he said. “I was a kid when I experienced it. There’s not a day I don’t think about my brother.”

Even though state and federal resources are used to fight other dangerous behaviors like opioid addiction and texting and driving, the suicide rate remains high, Giguere said.

“When you look at the numbers of people dying from those things versus suicide, it doesn’t compare,” he said. “If someone dies in a car accident, we can do something about the traffic light. With suicide, you’re left with a void and you don’t know where to point a finger.”

Giguere said there is a myth that people who threaten to commit suicide don’t follow through. He added people who talk about it are more likely to do so.

“There is an idea that someone had a bad day and just decided to (commit suicide),” he said. “People who talk about often have higher rates of depression, anxiety and mental health issues in general.”

About the training

The research-based workshop is 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. May 30 and 31 at the MHCNCA administrative offices at 1316 Somerville Road SE, Suite 1, in Decatur.

One of the workshop’s key features is small-group learning, so class size is limited to 30 people. Registration for both days is $70, which includes lunch.

Submitting payment for registration through the PayPal link at www.csna.org will reserve one’s spot in the workshop. However, it must be noted that the payment is for the ASIST training, not a donation to CSNA.

Continuing education credit is available for those who qualify at an additional cost through LivingWorks. For more information on registration or continuing education, contact Connie Kane of CSNA at 256-430-3336.

Those who wish to continue their training and become a volunteer crisis counselor for the 24-hour Crisis Services helpline can contact Kilgore at 256-716-4502 or heather@csna.org. Kilgore said ASIST workshops are offered three times a year, generally at the end of volunteers’ six-week training semester.