SUICIDE HOTLINE OFFERS VOLUNTEER TRAINING

The Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline service will offer a two-day crisis intervention training session beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 17 and Sunday, March 18. Training will take place at the Boise State University Communication Building. Lunch and all training materials will be provided free of charge.

Training sessions are primarily designed for potential hotline volunteers, but interested members of the public are also invited. Topics covered include myths and facts about suicide, warning signs, intervention strategies and ethics, and community resources.

College students may receive practicum or internship credit for taking the training and becoming volunteers. Volunteers are asked for a one year commitment of service and may take calls at their own homes.

The hotline, staffed entirely by volunteers, operates from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily and serves all of Idaho. Financial support comes from private donations, as well as the United Ways of Ada, Canyon and Elmore counties. The number is 1-800-564-2120. All calls are confidential.

Suicide is a major cause of death among Idahoans; the state suffers from one of the highest per capita rates of suicide in the nation. For more information, contact Peter Wollheim at 426-3532, or 1-800-564-2120.

Contact:
Peter Wollheim
Communication department
426-3532

Media Contact:
Kathleen Mortensen
communications and marketing
426-3275