Serving Niagara Families to
Support Each Other Since 1996
Support Each Other Since 1996
SafeTALK is a 3 hour alertness workshop that prepares anyone over the age of 15, regardless of prior experience or training, to become a suicide-alert helper. Most people with thoughts of suicide don’t truly want to die, but are struggling with overwhelming pain in their lives. Through their words and actions they either directly or indirectly invite help to stay alive.
SafeTALK trained helpers can recognize these invitations and take action by connecting them with life-saving intervention resources. Powerful videos and facilitator led discussions illustrate both non-alert and alert responses. Discussion and practice stimulate learning.
Since its development in 2006, safeTALK has been used in over 20 countries around the world, and more than 200 selectable video vignettes have been produced to tailor the program’s audio-visual component for diverse audiences. SafeTALK trained helpers are an important part of the suicide-safer communities, working alongside intervention resources to identify and avert suicide risks.
Workshop features:
To speak with your Niagara safeTALK trainer – call Dan Silver at 905 933 3406
Dan Silver’s experience is broadly focused as a clinician, group facilitator and administrator. As a Family Mental Health Counsellor, Dan’s passion has been facilitating and counselling for the Family Support Network since 1996. Prior to that he served as Executive Director of Gateway Residential and Community Support Services and Operations Manager of Niagara Regional Housing and several roles as a front line worker with Canadian Mental Health Association.
With degrees in Social Work, Education, Public Policy, Management, Hebrew Studies and a Cambridge University CELTA, Dan has enjoyed teaching mental health and crisis intervention as a partial load professor at Niagara College and eighteen months teaching at Jilin University, Changchun, PRC. Having served as a provincial director for the Ontario Association of Social Workers for six years he now sits as member at large for the Niagara Branch.
Dan’s choice to specialize in mental health is very personal. “In 1973, my brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and in 1993 he died. As a child I saw his pain and that of my parents and brothers. At that time the mental health system was poorly equipped to help Jonathan while offering nothing to the families. There are no magic fixes but our team offers practical approaches to improve your advocacy skills, knowledge of the health care system and heighten your own self-care skills. People do recover from mental illness and substance abuse issues more often than believed.”