This afternoon, I had the opportunity to walk through the Headquarters sections teaching a class on Suicide Prevention. Because of the dialogue format, I chose to use the ACE Suicide Prevention model.
The basic premise is to encourage Soldiers to talk to their battle buddies, especially if they are under depression or stress. If the buddy is showing signs or experiencing a high level of stress or depression; the Soldier must
ASK: Are you thinking about killing yourself?
Then, if the answer is “Yes”; the Soldier should
CARE: Care for the Soldier. Talk to them, listen to them, encourage them, and never leave them alone. Then the Soldier should
ESCORT their buddy: taking the Soldier to someone who care help; a Chaplain, a Leader in their unit, or to a medic or a hospital.
The Soldier will be safe, if these are followed through. Once the buddy returns from care, the other Soldiers still need to be there for their buddy. The issue that their buddy was dealing with have not simply gone away—the Soldier still needs support.
I enjoyed sharing this message with Soldiers. I enjoyed spending time with them and talking to them. I think the method of going around to the sections to teach, rather than bringing them all into a classroom was very effective—especially as people were able to interact and ask me questions.