Wingham is working towards becoming a "suicide safe" town and welcoming Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).
Mental Health Matters Wingham and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Grey Bruce have been working together for years to bring the training, but there hasn't been enough interest until now.
"The idea is that you get a chance to really do a deep dive into suicide intervention, what it looks like, what it sounds like, what it feels like, how to ask about suicide, how to have these conversations," said Jackie Ralph, youth awareness and education supervisor with CMHA Grey Bruce. "There's also a big chunk of the training that's what ifs and scenarios and practicing."
Ralph said the hope is that afterwards, you gain the confidence to become a suicide first aider in your every day life.
"It's a hard time right now with the way the economy is and just coming out of the pandemic," she said. "We noticed there's so many folks really struggling right now."
Ralph said almost 70 per cent of people in the area aren't feeling like their normal self and need extra support.
"When we see numbers like that, we always want to make sure there's enough people in our community that have the skills because we are more likely to provide this type of support than actual physical first aid."
The training takes place at F. E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham on January 20 and 21. It's a two day workshop, starting at 8:30 a.m. each morning, until 4:30 p.m. All you need to bring is a packed lunch.
To register, message Mental Health Matters Wingham Ontario on Facebook or email mentalhealthmatterswingham@gmail.com.