Training Programmes
Training is one of the most important pillars of SPAN. Suicide prevention requires people who are informed, sensitive, prepared, and capable of responding responsibly. SPAN provides structured training programmes to develop community task forces, trainers, gatekeepers, and professional intervention teams.
SPAN follows a three-level training model to strengthen suicide prevention capacity at the community, institutional, and professional levels. This model moves from basic awareness and community preparedness to advanced suicide-specific intervention skills.
Suicide Prevention Capacity Building: Three-Level Training Model
Level I: Community Action Task Force
Quarterly Suicide Prevention Training & Certification Programme
Level 1 focuses on developing a Community Action Task Force for suicide prevention. This level is designed for people who wish to actively participate in suicide prevention activities within their communities, institutions, and social networks.
Every three months, SPAN conducts structured online training for a batch of 50 participants. Each batch is limited to ensure quality learning, meaningful interaction, and hands-on skill development. The training programs are offered in both English and Malayalam, with alternate cohorts conducted in each language to ensure accessibility and effective learning for diverse participants.
Who Can Participate?
Level I is open to:

• Students

• Teachers

• Parents

• Mental health professionals

• Medical professionals

• Religious leaders

• Social workers

• Community volunteers

• Institutional staff

• Youth leaders

• Anyone committed to reducing suicide in society

Training Includes:

• Suicide literacy and stigma reduction

• Scientific understanding of suicide

• Risk factors and protective factors

• Emotional distress and warning signs

• Youth Suicide

• Resilience building

• QPR Gatekeeper training

• Brief suicide intervention skills

• Ethical guidelines

• Caregiver self-care

• Community-based prevention strategies

• Referral guidance

• Help-seeking promotion

Outcome of Level I:
Participants will be equipped to:

• Recognize signs of emotional distress

• Listen without judgment

• Offer basic emotional support

• Promote help-seeking

• Develop safety planning

• Reduce stigma in their communities

• Conduct basic awareness programmes

• Support suicide prevention activities

• Connect individuals with appropriate services

Level II: Trainer Development Task Force
Level II training is designed for selected participants who have successfully completed Level 1 and wish to become trainers and community leaders in suicide prevention.
This level provides advanced knowledge and skill-based training. It prepares participants to become certified gatekeeper trainers who can lead prevention efforts within their communities, institutions, and regions.
Training Includes:

• Advanced suicide prevention knowledge

• School-based intervention training

• QPR Gatekeeper trainer certification

• Facilitation and communication skills

• Training programme delivery

• Community mobilization

• Referral system development

• Institutional prevention planning

• Leadership in prevention initiatives

• Training to conduct research in suicide prevention

Outcome of Level II:
Participants will be prepared to:

• Conduct suicide prevention awareness sessions

• Train community groups and institutional teams

• Guide Level 1 task force members

• Support schools, colleges, and community organizations

• Develop local prevention initiatives

• Multiply suicide prevention knowledge and skills

• Engage in research

Level 2 creates a multiplying effect, allowing suicide prevention training to reach more people across different regions and social settings.
Level III: Professional Intervention Task Force
Level III is an advanced training programme exclusively for qualified mental health professionals, psychiatrists, certified clinical practitioners, and clinical social workers.
This level focuses on suicide-specific intervention skills and professional response systems. It is designed for those directly involved in mental health support, counselling, crisis response, therapy, research, and institutional care.
Training Includes:

• Suicide-specific therapeutic interventions

• DBT approaches

• CBT-SP approaches

• CAMS approaches

• Clinical risk assessment

• Crisis management

• Safety planning

• Ethical and legal responsibilities

• Documentation

• Referral pathways

• Postvention support

• Professional resilience

• Supervision standards

• Coordinated care

Outcome of Level III:
Participants will be equipped to:

• Respond to high-risk situations with competence

• Provide suicide-specific therapeutic care

• Conduct clinical risk assessment

• Develop safety and crisis response plans

• Support institutions and communities during crisis

• Contribute to professional intervention systems

• Strengthen suicide prevention services

Training Registration
SPAN welcomes committed individuals and institutions to participate in its training programmes. Those interested in joining upcoming batches may contact SPAN for registration details.