Conference Agenda

Public safety personnel, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and correctional officers, are frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events in the course of their duties. This repeated exposure to such events is a risk factor for operational stress injuries, which include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal behaviors. In 2018, in Canada, 10.1% of PSPs reported having suicidal behaviors (ideation, plan, or attempt) in the past year (Carleton et al., 2018). Other risk factors, such as organizational culture, mental health stigma, access to resources, and barriers to seeking help, can amplify the difficulties experienced by this population. This issue related to suicide risk among PSPs has prompted the Department of Public Safety to take action to reduce stigma, raise awareness of the phenomenon among all PSPs, and equip them to take care of themselves and their. The Department then collaborated with researchers from the trauma study center and CRISE who have expertise in suicide prevention among PSPs to develop training for PSPs in collaboration with PSPs. It was in this spirit of partnership that an online training course for PSP was developed. This conference will present how this training was developed in close collaboration with the MSP and members of the PSP. The challenges of such a collaboration will also be discussed, as will the benefits.

Workplaces are increasingly recognized as essential settings for suicide prevention and postvention, particularly in safety-critical industries where psychosocial hazards, cultural barriers, and structural challenges elevate risk. The H.O.P.E. Certification (Helping Our People Elevate through tough times) offers a novel, cohort-based, year-long implementation model that integrates upstream, midstream, and downstream suicide-prevention strategies into organizational systems. This presentation summarizes evaluation findings from the Colorado cohort -- five organizations across construction and healthcare -- supported by United Suicide Survivors International and Colorado’s Office of Suicide Prevention.

Methods

A mixed-methods evaluation included 11 pre- and post-surveys, assessment of organizational deliverables, and qualitative case studies. Measures focused on changes in knowledge, confidence, intention to disseminate learning, leadership engagement, resource literacy, and perceptions of psychological safety.

Results

Participants demonstrated significant increases (p < .05) in content knowledge, confidence in suicide-prevention skills, and intention to share learning. Organizations reported strengthened leadership engagement, improved mental-health resource literacy, increased Employee Assistance Program utilization, and enhanced perceptions of psychological safety. Case examples showed varied but meaningful transformation: a construction firm implemented lethal-means safety education and “pay-it-forward” community events; a healthcare system expanded peer-support networks and storytelling initiatives to address burnout; and a contractor advanced a tiered training model linked to improved retention. Collectively, these examples highlight how lived-experience-driven design, structured accountability, and third-party verification support sustainable cultural change. Findings reinforce the need for comprehensive, scalable frameworks that move beyond isolated trainings toward systems-level implementation.

Conclusion

The H.O.P.E. Certification offers a replicable model for rethinking how workplaces reduce suicide risk, respond to crisis, and build cultures of safety, dignity, and connection. Practical recommendations emerging from the evaluation include strengthening leadership buy-in, standardizing evaluation tools, expanding inter-industry learning, and developing sector-specific toolkits to support sustained cultural and operational change.

This session focuses on the need for an acute suicide postvention response in the US construction industry. This researcher proposes that there is a need to rethink suicide research and prevention due to the disconnect between the three legs of the Suicide Triangle: Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention. This notion was further confirmed after receiving 8 post-suicide calls over a 12-week period in Q3-2024. These calls served as the impetus for this researcher’s attempt to partially shift this industry’s focus from suicide prevention and intervention also to include postvention care for loss/attempt survivors. With the guidance of his mentor, Dr Pamela Hatton in England, he designed and implemented a multi-phase mixed-method research pilot project that included surveys, interviews, and a focus group (Note: Informed consent was obtained from and self-care information provided to every participant at each stage). This researcher sought input from a range of participants across five countries. The project includes insights from nearly 80 Loss Survivors, Attempt Survivors, First Responders, Construction Professionals, and Researchers/Practitioners. Additionally, the researcher incorporates lessons learned from 2 distinct impactful auxiliary experiences:

1. Research Tour: Scotland and England in early June of 2025. Wherein, he attended a 2-day Suicide Researchers Conference at the University of Glasgow, followed by a visit to Dunblane for a 2-day Workplace Postvention training, and finally, to share research findings, to date, with a group of invited attendees at Canterbury Cathedral; and

2. Discussions: With no less than five globally-recognized subject matter experts for tips on designing and implementing postvention guidebooks, etc., based on their trials and tribulations within their specific sectors of related interest.

As per the Focus Group phase of this study, this researcher intends to produce the following End Products: articles, a guidebook, training(s), and a video to capture and disseminate the findings of this pilot project.

Trauma is an increasingly common experience within workplaces, yet many organizations remain unprepared to respond effectively when it occurs. This presentation highlights the urgent need for trauma preparedness by examining how inadequate structures, unclear procedures, and insufficient communication can intensify harm for employees and leaders alike. Drawing from two compelling case studies -- one involving one suicide attempt that later resulted in a suicide death and one suicide death within the fire service and law enforcement settings -- this session will illustrate the profound organizational impact of traumatic events and the consequences of insufficient response.

Through these case studies, participants will explore how employees perceived a lack of leadership action leading up to the incidents, including missed opportunities for intervention and limited access to support resources. The cases also reveal significant gaps in the post-incident process: the absence of structured return-to-work plans after a suicide attempt, unclear expectations for reintegration, and the lack of a coordinated organizational response following a suicide death. These failures not only affected individual employees’ well-being but also undermined trust, morale, and psychological safety across the workforce.

Building on these lessons, the presentation will offer practical, scalable recommendations for trauma preparedness applicable across industries. Central to these recommendations is the development of a critical incident command structure tailored specifically for trauma response. This model outlines clear roles, decision-making pathways, and time-sensitive actions to ensure that leaders, supervisors, and support personnel can act swiftly and cohesively. Additionally, the session will introduce a prepared communication plan that guides internal and external messaging, reduces confusion, and promotes organizational transparency during and after traumatic events.

Participants will leave with concrete tools to strengthen support organizations’ readiness for high-impact events, enhance employee support, and foster a culture where trauma is recognized, addressed, and met with competent, compassionate leadership.

Background: Workplaces can be valuable arenas for suicide prevention, as colleagues are often among the first to notice signs of distress. No One to Lose – Workplace is a brief, team-based training program designed to strengthen employees’ confidence in responding to potential suicide risk. The program combines short instructional films with guided group reflection. Organizations receive preliminary telephone guidance but conduct the sessions internally, making the intervention low-threshold, flexible, and suitable for integration into ordinary workplace routines.

Method: A quantitative pre–post design was applied using anonymous online questionnaires (pre: n = 396; post: n = 186). Participants rated their confidence on a 1–10 scale across three domains: recognizing suicide risk, addressing the topic directly, and providing support. Descriptive analyses compared score distributions before and after the training. Implementation outcomes included course completion, teamwork during exercises, and managerial involvement.

Results: Implementation was largely successful, with most participants completing all training elements and engaging in team discussions, often with managerial participation. The largest gains were observed in participants’ comfort with discussing suicide directly and providing support, while confidence in detecting suicide risk showed moderate improvement. Overall, score distributions shifted toward higher confidence levels. Qualitative responses were predominantly positive, emphasizing the program’s importance, relevance, practicality, and role in reducing stigma. Some participants requested more time, clearer crisis procedures, and additional tools. Interest in advanced training options was substantial, indicating readiness for continued competence development.

Conclusion: A brief, team-based workplace program can enhance employees’ confidence in addressing suicide risk, particularly through open dialogue and supportive action. Managerial involvement and collective reflection appear important for impact. While self-report and the lack of a control group limit causal claims, findings suggest that low-threshold, discussion-based training can strengthen organizational readiness for suicide prevention.