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LivingWorks ASIST Trainers Angela and Andy Dixon are keeping Louisiana safer from suicide 

LivingWorks ASIST Trainers Angela and Andy Dixon are keeping Louisiana safer from suicide 

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From high school students and community members to state troopers and 988 operators, LivingWorks ASIST Trainers Angela and Andy Dixon have made it their mission to keep everyone in their community safer from suicide. Initially, this community were members of their local parish – over the years it has evolved into the entire state of Louisiana. 

Angela and Andy lost their son, Adam, to suicide in 2014. What initially started as putting a ‘Team Adam’ together for a local awareness walk in 2016, has since blossomed into the pair training more than 4,100 people in LivingWorks ASIST suicide intervention training. 

“We had 800 people attend this walk with 100 volunteers. People were sharing their stories,” says Angela. “We decided we didn’t just want to have a walk once a year, we wanted to get people to know how to prevent suicide.” 

“For the last six months of Adam’s life, especially the last week, he gave me invitations. He would try to tell me something and I would try and fix things. That’s why it’s so important to learn LivingWorks ASIST – learn how to listen and see those signs and realize that suicide could be an option for this person,” says Andy. 

Angela and Andy attended a LivingWorks ASIST workshop, eventually leading them to complete a LivingWorks ASIST Training for Trainers (T4T). 

“Our mission was to make a difference in our little parish, but now we train throughout the state of Louisiana,” says Angela. 

“We not only train LivingWorks ASIST, but we use the PAL (Pathway for Assisting Life) model and the skills all the time. We go out in the community and do interventions. Just this last week we used it twice,” says Andy. “After the first walk we chaired, we decided to keep the money we raised local. We made our own non-profit called Save Cenla.” 

Save Cenla was co-created by Angela and Andy with Jackie and Anthony Bordelon. Their mission is to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention through education, media, and events.  

When Angela and Andy began sharing Adam’s story, the topic of suicide wasn’t as open of a conversation as it has become today. 

“When we first started Save Cenla we reached out to a few TV stations to do interviews, and nobody wanted to talk about suicide. That has completely changed. Now, seven years later, anytime we call they’ll put us on,” says Andy. 

“One lady in particular had trouble saying the word ‘suicide’ and now they got on board and took the workshop,” says Angela.  

Through their efforts with Save Cenla and LivingWorks ASIST workshops, Angela and Andy have positively shaped the conversation around suicide prevention and mental health throughout Louisiana.  

However, it wasn’t always a seamless process, as Angela and Andy put in countless hours of practice and received mentorship to become the Trainers they are today. 

“We got a good head start because we had a lot of good leaders who helped us,” says Angela. 

After countless hours of practice and the delivery of many workshops across the state of Louisiana, Angela and Andy have earned their LivingWorks ASIST Gold Award for delivering more than 100 LivingWorks ASIST workshops. 

“These awards are a reminder of the 4,000 people we have trained, and the lives they are touching. That’s what I see when I look at these statues,” says Andy.  

By sharing their story and delivering LivingWorks ASIST workshops across Louisiana, Angela and Andy have become a beacon of hope throughout many communities. 

Learn more about LivingWorks ASIST and how to join our community of LivingWorks Trainers

Head to the Save Cenla website to learn more about Angela, Andy and Adam’s story. 

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