Cycle Against Suicide's main goal is the prevention of suicide and support for those affected by it, as well as the promotion of mental health as a critical part of overall wellness.
Their peer support/ Community Buddy programme, which is available free of charge to all community groups, trains individuals in communities how to have a structured but supportive conversation in a safe and non-judgemental space. It allows an individual to discuss how they are coping or not coping, and working together, the individual working with the Buddy discuss (co-produce) ways of moving forward to overcome the challenges.
During Community Buddy training, participants will be educated on how stress and mental health problems can affect individuals. They will be instructed in the skills of active listening. They will be trained in the use of a structured interview schedule to ascertain whether individuals might be experiencing significant levels of distress and how to practically manage distressed individuals. Furthermore, they will be trained to mentor individuals to take positive resilience enhancing actions, such as positive coping. They will be trained on how to recognise more complex symptoms requiring professional interventions. They will develop skills based on the principal of motivational mentoring to encourage individuals to speak with a healthcare professional where necessary.
Further information on our programme or to register to become a 'Buddy' visit cycleagainstsuicide.com.
