LifeKeepers is Aotearoa New Zealand’s national suicide prevention training, endorsed by the Ministry of Health. LifeKeepers is a gatekeeper training, designed for people who want to be equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to prevent suicide.

The LifeKeepers programme consists of locally developed and relevant content, effective facilitation, and safe and supportive learning environments to equip people with the knowledge and skills they need to identify and support individuals at risk of suicide. Following training, LifeKeepers participants:

• Know how to talk about suicide in a responsible way;
• Understand the risk and protective factors for suicide in New Zealand;
• Know how to identify warning signs that an individual may be at risk of suicide;
• Have increased skills and confidence to intervene safely with individuals at risk of suicide;
• Gain knowledge that is sustained and able to be practically applied;
• Have increased awareness of relevant local, regional, and national support services; and
• Have increased knowledge of cultural impact on suicide risk and how cultural views are considered in any help provided to individuals at risk of suicide.

We have been lucky to have this training session for a group of 25 staff at the start of the year, along with community groups and agencies who will be having training the previous day. This strengthens the knowledge and skills of our whole community to respond to the young people with whom we work.