Confident & Competent Suicide Prevention Training Series - Wairarapa (CC2026/16)

From checklist to “Conversations of Enquiry” A transformational approach to how we understand and assess suicide risk.

Undertaking a suicide risk assessment is not without its complexities. One size does not fit all. Learn about a person-centred approach to assessing suicide risk and imminent danger using a wellbeing outcomes framework.

This advanced workshop builds on basic suicide prevention training and allows participants to analyse suicide risk factors and reflect on their risk assessment practice. It encourages deeper enquiry and avoids being limited to assessment sheet questions. It examines the essential elements of a good assessment: rapport, dialogue, confidence, and competence.

Once considered essential for predicting suicide or self-harm, risk assessment tools, scales, and levels are now increasingly being discouraged. Recent UK guidance recommends against the use of risk assessment tools, scales, and stratification into levels (such as “low”, “medium”, or “high” risk) for predicting suicide or self-harm repetition or making decisions about treatment or discharge. Rather than degrees of risk, participants will identify where the suicidal person is along the 'continuum of suicidality' and the difference between suicidality and suicidal crisis.

Participants will depth their knowledge and competency in the “art” of an individualised person-centred approach to assessing risk and will be introduced to the Conversation of Enquiry which is a series of mini conversations that is client-focused and where the conversation of distress is the primary focus of the enquiry rather than presence of risk factors.

Topics covered:

• Who are killing themselves? – Understanding trends and sub-populations

• Why do people kill themselves – An overview of the phenomenon of suicide and the 'suicidal moment’

• Motivation – Violitional Model of Suicide Behaviour

• Continuum of suicidality

• Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behaviour

• What is meant by suicide risk? - Predisposing, Precipitating and Perpetuating

• Imminent Danger Assessment & Protective Factors

• From Suicide Risk Assessment Tools to Person – Centred Risk

• Conversations of Enquiry

• Suicidality vs Suicide Crisis

The primary aim of supporting the suicidal person is to engender a sense of hope and inviting the person to live

Learn about the suicidal moment and how being a compassionate change maker and a custodian of hope can interrupt the suicidal thought and disrupt suicidal thinking

Identifying suicide risk is only one aspect of working with the suicidal person. The increasing demand on mental health services means that front line workers are often having to provide ongoing support for those who are vulnerable to suicide but are assessed as not being in imminent danger of suicide.

“Supportive approaches addresses those factors that distorts, depletes, or suppresses the suicidal person’s mauri / life force, and those that reawakens the enablers that nurtures, sustains and restores the person’s wairua.”

Workshop participants will explore a range of engagement, support and safe containment outcomes for supporting the suicidal person post the risk assessment process. These outcomes can be applied to any counselling, support or psychotherapeutic model.

Rather than being another model, this therapeutic outcomes approach builds on counselling modalities and/or mental health support/ recovery principles and processes.

The outcomes are grouped into: Manaakitanga | Anchoring | Kōrero | Anchoring | Illumination, Interrupting the suicidal thought | Invitation to Live |Custodian of Hope | Restoring of Wairua | Strategies for coping.

The second day focuses on:

• Compassionate Change Making

• Custodian of Hope Outcomes

• From Safety Plans to Coping Plan

“I have learnt more about risk assessment in this workshop than I have learnt from all the suicide prevention workshops I have attended combined”   - Psychotherapist

“Appreciated how you constantly drew upon the participants’ experience.  Will leave thinking / reflecting on my current practice”   - School Counsellor

“Gave me new insights into something I do everyday”  

- Mental Health Clinician

"A must attend for counsellors. A rich experience filled with practical examples and learning moments” - Counsellor

"I feel much better equipped to provide support and supervision to my team members" 

- Mental Health NGO Team Leader

"I feel more reassured that our staff have both the knowledge and the competence to undertake a high quality assessment that is person-centred and appropriate for the numerous cultural communities that we work with."

- Manager

"The easy to understand concepts and the model of support reduced my anxiety about working with a suicidal person. I leave far more confident and trusting of my skills to be an effective support."   - AOD Counsellor

“The many examples you shared from your work enhanced my learning and made the application of the model relevant to my work”   - ACC Counsellor

“Insightful, informative and passionate presentation along with your humour engaged me for the whole day.”   

- Psychologist

“Your cultural sensitivity and drawing on Māori thinking of suicide and wellbeing made the workshop relevant to my practice.” - Counsellor

Payment: Payment is by either:

Credit Card (Visa or Mastercard) or 
Instalment payment (ZIP and Afterpay) 
Invoice - Organisations can request to pay by invoice. At payment method click on Invoice,

Yes you can request to be invoiced subject to the following terms.

Terms for Payment By Invoice
Payment by Invoice is only for NGOs, Government Departments, Te Whatu Ora, PHOs, Schools and tertiary organisations, businesses.

By selecting to pay by invoice the organisation agrees to the following conditions:

1.  Your place in the workshop is not confirmed until payment has been received. Payment of the invoice must be made within seven days of registering to avoid having your registration cancelled. Late payment fees apply.

2.  A Tax Invoice from TaylorMade Training and Consulting will be sent to you separately which will contain bank details for payment.  

3.  By registering for the workshop, you agree to the cancellation and policy.  Organisations who cancel within seven days of the workshop and have not paid the invoice for the outstanding registration fee are still obligated to pay the outstanding debt.

Book 3 or more participants in one registration and receive 20% discount off each registration

There is a limited number of partial and full scholarships for those wishing to attend the workshop.

Full scholarships are available for non waged Tangata Whaiora / mental health consumers, carers and volunteers.

Partial scholarships of either 25% or 50% off the registration fee are available for full time tertiary students in health, mental health, addiction, social service or disability related courses. 

Further information and how to apply for a scholarship is available on the TaylorMade website.

Cancellation and Refund Policy
Workshops can fill quickly. If you are no longer able to attend the workshop please cancel your registration as soon as possible. Workshop cancellation must be done in writing.

The following refund policy is strictly adhered to.

Cancellation up to seven days prior to the commencement of the workshop:  Full Refund less $70+GST admin fee

Cancellation within seven days prior to the commencement of the workshop: No refund but registration can be transferred to another person. To transfer your registration log on to your registration and update the name and contact details to the new person attending.

Non attendance:   No refund

TaylorMade Training and Consulting (TMTC) reserves the right to cancel a workshop up to two weeks before it starts if there aren’t sufficient registrations. If cancelled, participants get a refund either by credit for another TMTC workshop (within 12 months) or full refund of their registration fee. Refunds are made to the credit card used or an electronic transfer to a bank account specified by the participant. TMTC isn’t responsible for any other costs incurred by participants due to a workshop cancellation.

The information and professional advice delivered in the workshop and the associated printed material is provided solely on the basis that before relying on this material, participants should obtain appropriate advice relevant to their particular circumstance to evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes. TaylorMade Training and Consulting will not be liable for any damages of any kind to any person or entity arising from the use of this information. Your attendance at this workshop reflects your acceptance of this statement.

Organiser Contact Details

Barry Taylor
Principal Consultant |  TaylorMade Training and Consulting

Mobile:  027 241 6979
Email:  registration@4wellbeing.nz   
Website:  www.4wellbeing.nz