KEEP THEM SAFE: Suicide Safety Planning

& Lethal Means Accessibility Conversations

Date: May 12, 2026| 9:00am-12:00pm 

Trainer: Michelle Toman, Brother Up 

Location: Zoom 

Description: Safe, honest and meaningful conversations about suicide are crucial when helping 

individuals keep themselves safe from the risk of an attempt to potentially end their own life. Safety plans add a protective layer and are utilized as a guide when suicidal ideation may be present and the threat to life exists. What is doable for one individual isn’t necessarily achievable for all and safety plans are meant to be personalized and actionable strategies designed to reduce the risk of suicide while helping someone with thoughts, feelings, urges and behaviors.

Understanding the conditions of which suicide attempts occur, comprehension of each

of the components of a safety plan and being able to help guide the individual through 

creating one that is achievable for them requires patience, skill and much intentionality. 

Essential to increasing safety from suicide requires us as a helper to create the 

opportunity of a safe and supportive space for this specific conversation to occur; 

listening to understand and responding with empathy through our words, tones, and 

signals can often challenge our own assumptions and personal biases while helping 

someone create a plan for safety. Also critical to safety planning is the ability and 

willingness to be able to discuss any/all lethal means, as removal and restriction of 

access can be the difference between life and death. 

This Keep Them Safe training provides parameters for having this life and death 

conversation, while utilizing language that fosters psychological safety, trust and 

connection to reduce isolation and increase a person’s willingness to stay safe. 

This interactive session equips participants to assist someone in developing a plan of 

safety, while helping them recognize the contributing circumstances and in identifying 

measures to increase their personal safety through coping mechanisms, limiting access 

to lethal means and with connection to others. 

Safety planning and discussions on access to lethal means is an evidence-based and practice-based skill vital to saving lives and preventing death. This training is rooted in research and personal experiences and based on best practices methods. 

Objectives: Participants will...

• Learn to collaboratively develop an individualized safety plan for individuals at-risk for suicide. 

• Be introduced to effective communication techniques for initiating and navigating conversations about access to lethal means. 

• Learn techniques of applying best practices for safety planning and reducing accessibility to lethal means when suicide risk is present. 

*STARS credit & Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) offered! If you wish to receive STARS credit, please register on the STARS Portal www.wvstars.org

*Addictions CEUs Pending*