R.A.C.E. Suicide Prevention Training

Suicide Prevention is Everyone’s Responsibility

R.A.C.E. Suicide Prevention Training

The R.A.C.E. Suicide Prevention training is three one-hour modules delivered one module per week via Zoom starting Tuesday, 11 January.  The training is applicable for anyone (veterans, parents, academics, employers, etc.) who may encounter someone who is thinking of ending their life.  Each module is a prerequisite for attendance at subsequent modules.  Active participation is encourage and assigned “homework” encourages practice of skills learned during the training.    

The acronym R.A.C.E. stands for:

·        Recognize signs of distress

·        Ask the person about what they are thinking and feeling

·        Care for the person

·        Escort the person based on their needs

The R.A.C.E. model for suicide prevention has been used throughout the United States Marine Corps for many years.  The model stands out among others because it includes an important aspect of suicide prevention that other models do not; that is Recognize signs of distress. 

Once you recognize distress, the next actions are Ask and Care.  Calmly Asking a person about distress you observe provides an invitation for them to talk about their thoughts and feelings.  By asking, you demonstrate that you are concerned. 

The training incorporates questions from the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). The C-SSRS is an empowering critical threat assessment tool and protection strategy for the prevention of suicide and violence that can be used by anyone.  

You demonstrate that you Care about what the person is saying and do so without passing judgement on what they think or feel by actively listening to their story. 

The final step in the R.A.C.E. model is Escort the person. Do everything you can to encourage and expedite the person to get help.Additional information and tools to enhance your suicide awareness, knowledge and prevention skills are presented during the three training modules.