Western University in Ontario, Canada is creating a suicide-safer community on their campus – creating Networks of Safety by training hundreds of student leaders in LivingWorks safeTALK each year.  

This year, Western hosted 36 LivingWorks safeTALK workshops on their campus on August 27 and 28. To date, they have trained more than 7000 students in LivingWorks safeTALK, training 1300 student leaders annually since 2018 – offering LivingWorks Start training in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.  

Western has also been offering LivingWorks ASIST to students, staff and faculty since 2017, with certain programs implementing LivingWorks ASIST as a curricular requirement. 

“As a LivingWorks ASIST trainer, I wholeheartedly support the investment we make each year to train thousands of students in LivingWorks safeTALK,” says Leslie Gloor Duncan, the Associate Director of the Transition, Leadership and Enrichment team. “Having more students and student leaders trained in both suicide alertness and suicide first aid means we are not only creating a suicide safer community on our campus, but these skills are taken with students when they leave Western.” 

In 2023, Western hosted an in-house Training for Trainers workshop for LivingWorks safeTALK, leading to eight LivingWorks safeTALK Trainers between their Student Experience and Residence Life staff.  

“I first underwent LivingWorks safeTALK training in 2019 as a student leader at Western, and I vividly remember feeling profoundly moved by the training,” says Cambrie Taylor, Coordinator of Student Experience & Engagement. “Three years later, upon becoming a staff member at Western and coordinating LivingWorks safeTALK training for over 800 student leaders each year, I witnessed firsthand the wide-reaching impact of this workshop.” 

Taylor became a LivingWorks safeTALK Trainer herself after being inspired by watching other student leaders use their skills to support peers through thoughts of suicide and have supportive conversations around other sensitive topics.  

This past week, Western also conducted training for 70 Orientation Leadership team members which included case-based learning sessions. 

“I was absolutely blown away by how effectively these student leaders applied what they learned in LivingWorks safeTALK to the mental health cases, using the specific skills and language they learned in the session,” says Taylor. “This is a true testament to the impact and importance of LivingWorks safeTALK training for our Orientation program and our broader university community.” 

To learn more about Western University and their learning opportunities, check out their website.

To learn more about becoming a suicide alert helper to keep your community safer from suicide, find a LivingWorks safeTALK training workshop near you.