Josephine County, Ore. — With an increase in suicide rates throughout the state, Options for Southern Oregon wants to equip locals with more resources.
Every few months, the organization offers a program called ‘Asist’ which stands for applied suicide intervention skills training.
Asist facilitator Benjamin Bryan says the training focuses on finding an emotional connection with people who are at risk.
“We are seeing a gradual increase in suicide rates. Josephine county had 54 people end their life by suicide in 2015. And that’s higher than the state average, and Oregon is higher than the national average,” Bryan said.
The training is open to the community.
To sign up for future opportunities for training, call Options for Southern Oregon.
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