28 | JULY 16 • 2020 

W

e Need to Talk, the 
youth mental health 
initiative of the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit, is offering free, online 
suicide prevention training to 
members of the Detroit Jewish 
community 13 years or older.
“Nearly all of us 
knows someone 
struggling with 
depression or a seri-
ous mental illness,
” 
says We Need to Talk 
Coordinator Amy 
Wayne. “Recently, COVID-19 has 
caused increased stressors and 
mental health issues for many, 
while at the same time has lim-
ited resources that people may 

typically use to cope.
” 
During this time, suicide pre-
vention skills are needed more 
than ever. Thanks to the gener-
osity of the Zuckerman Klein 
Family Foundation, members of 
the community can access this 
training and the skills and knowl-
edge to keep family, friends and 
co-workers safe from suicide.
The training is available 
through a program called 
LivingWorks Start. Participants 
do not need any previous knowl-
edge or experience and once 
signed up, they have up to a year 
to complete the online training. 
Training sessions take between 
an hour to an hour and a half and 
can be completed from the com-

fort of home. 
LivingWorks programs have 
led the field of suicide prevention 
for more than 35 years. The pro-
gram was informed by best prac-
tices in suicidology, education 
and e-learning principles. As of 
December 2019, 535 participants 
completed LivingWorks Start. 
Follow-up studies indicated that 
75% of participants were com-
fortable tuning into the possibil-
ity of suicide, and about 90% of 
participants correctly responded 
with “ask” as the follow-up to 
tuning in to the possibility of sui-
cide, revealing the skills learned 

during training were correctly 
put to use.
“Suicide is the second leading 
cause of death for young people 
ages 10 to 24 and is the 10th lead-
ing cause of death for all ages,
” 
Wayne said. “Most people are 
surprised to learn they’
re much 
more likely to encounter some-
one who’
s thinking about suicide 
than someone who needs CPR. 
Yet suicide is preventable. With 
the right skills, anyone can help 
save a life.
” 
To learn more and register for 
LivingWorks Start training, go to 
wn2t.org/livingworks. 

Learn to Save a Life

We Need to Talk offers free,
online suicide-prevention training.

BECKY MAISTER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Amy Wayne

We Need to Talk
This community-wide initiative, sponsored by Federation focuses on 
raising awareness about youth mental illness, and providing tools 
and resources for those in need of care. By bringing this issue into 
the light — and telling our stories — we can lift the stigma associ-
ated with mental health challenges and begin to address the prob-
lems we face as a community.

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