Suicide Prevention Training sees rise in participation in 2026

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Community Counseling Center says more and more people are stepping up to help those going through a crisis after attendance at suicide prevention trainings has increased. 

Michelle Ramsey is the Executive Director of the Community Counseling Center Foundation. She shares the training focuses on teaching participants how to recognize warning signs of suicide and how to connect individuals to help, which could be a lifeline to someone struggling.

 “We have so far January and February trained over a hundred people in mental health” says Ramsey. “There’s so many opportunities that you run across people that may need some help, or they may be having a bad day and the skills that you’ve picked up through those trainings are available to you to be able to help assess the situation and maybe save a life.” 

The next training sessions available are in May and run from 1 hour to ½ day, to 8 hours, depending on the type of training. Theres a link on the Community Counseling Center website that provides signup information.

You must sign up ahead of time, and anyone church’s, teachers, parents, is able to sign up for the training. 

Rick Strait is the Substance Use Division Director of the Community Counseling Center; he shares why these trainings are so important.  

 “I truly believe most people want to help somebody they think is struggling, but they’re afraid of doing it wrong or messing it up” says Strait  and I think that’s the key thing. These trainings help to one day help you learn to recognize those things, and then to give you the conversation or the ways to start that conversation in a way that helps build that and confidence level.” 

Ramsey shares that they are only able to provide these trainings because of funding used from the Community Counseling Foundation. She shares funding is ran off of donations and a vital part of what they can provide.  

“All the money that we raise through mental health awareness as in donations that come in for mental health, then that money is available for us to use to continue to provide the funding for these trainings in the community.” 

For more information on training or donating Behavioral Health Services – Community Counseling Center –.