Mental Health Trainings & Resources

The Helpline Center provides a variety of mental health and suicide prevention trainings in South Dakota. We invite you to attend an upcoming training or schedule a training today to learn the steps of identifying and responding to mental health and suicide.

For questions, please email training@helplinecenter.org.

Request a Mental Health Training or Resource

Monthly Mental Health Newsletter & Minute

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) – 1 to 2 hour training

Mental Health First Aid – 8 hour training

Youth Mental Health First Aid – 6.5 hour training

Means Safety Training – 1 hour training

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) – 2 day training

Helpline Center University

Monthly Mental Health Newsletter & Minute

Helpline Center’s monthly Mental Health Newsletter is your go-to destination for all things mental health.

Click to Subscribe

What to Expect:

1. Mental Health Minute: A one page document you can share with employees, students, and others that is full of relevant mental health information and self-care tips.
2. Social Media Shareables: Premade content related to mental health and wellness you can share on your social media pages or advertise around your organization.
3. Featured Trainings: Know about upcoming trainings or request one for your organization.
4. Featured Content: Gain valuable insights on 211, 988, and all the great programs at Helpline Center.
5. Order Materials: Easy access to order materials related to 988, 211, or suicide loss support.

Stay updated with our Mental Health Minute, where we deliver bite-sized insights and tips for nurturing your emotional well-being. Dive into expert advice on managing stress, enhancing resilience, and fostering self-care practices. Join our community committed to prioritizing mental health, one minute at a time.

Download past publications of the Helpline Center Mental Health Minute

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) – 1 to 2 hour training

QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer, three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. In this one to two-hour training, participants first learn about the nature of suicidal communications, what forms these communications take, and how they may be used as a stimulus for a QPR intervention.

QPR offers specialty modules in: School Health Professionals; Farmers; School Setting; Native American; Late Life Suicide; Residential; Law Enforcement & Emergency Service Professionals; and Youth.

Upcoming Virtual QPR Trainings- Click to sign up now!

February 18, 2025 – 4-5 p.m. MST – Rapid City

Mental Health First Aid – 8 hour training

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

Two Learning Options

Blended Learning. After completing a 2-hour, self-paced class, First Aiders will participate in a 4-hour, in-person, Instructor-led class.

In-person. First Aiders will receive their training as an 8-hour, Instructor-led, in-person course.

Who Should Take it

Employers
Police officers
Hospital staff
First responders
Faith leaders
Community members
Caring individuals

What it Covers

Common signs and symptoms of mental illness
Common signs and symptoms of substance use
How to interact with a person in crisis
How to connect the person with help
NEW: Expanded content on trauma, addiction and self-care

Mental Health First Aid offers specialty modules in: Higher Education; Military Members, Veterans & Their Families; Public Safety; Older Adults; and Rural Communities

Upcoming In-Person MHFA Trainings: Click to Register.

April 3, 2025, 8:30am-5:00pm

Youth Mental Health First Aid – 6.5 hour training

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in youth. This 6.5-hour training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

Two Learning Options

Blended Learning. After completing a 2-hour, self-paced online class, First Aiders will participate in a 4-hour, in-person, Instructor-led class.

In-person. First Aiders will receive their training as a 6.5-hour Instructor-led in-person course.

Who Should Take it

Teachers
School staff
Coaches
Camp counselors
Youth group leaders
Parents
People who work with youth

What it Covers

Common signs and symptoms of mental illness in this age group, including
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
Common signs and symptoms of substance use
How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis
How to connect the person with help
NEW: Expanded content on trauma, addiction and self-care and the impact of social media and bullying

Means Safety Training – 1 hour training

In this training session, participants will delve into the crucial aspects of suicide safety planning and means safety. Designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective support, this training focuses on fostering a safer environment for those at suicide risk.

Safety Planning:

Safety planning stands as a key practice in mental health care and suicide prevention. It is a personalized, proactive strategy designed to guide individuals through moments of crisis and mitigate the risk of self-harm or suicide.

Means Safety:

Means safety is a critical component of suicide prevention that focuses on limiting access to lethal means, thereby reducing the risk of self-harm and suicide. It acknowledges that restricting access to potentially harmful items or methods can play a pivotal role in preventing impulsive and irreversible actions.

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) – 2 day training

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is for anyone—regardless of prior experience—who wants to be able to provide suicide first aid. Shown by major studies to significantly reduce suicidality, the ASIST model teaches effective intervention skills while helping to build suicide prevention networks in the community. This is a 2-day training.

Upcoming In-Person ASIST Trainings- Click to sign up now!

February 12-13, 2025 – 8:30am-4:30pm

Helpline Center University

This course is aimed at professionals in the social service sector to learn how to utilize the online Community Directory tools to connect individuals to resources in their community.

The course provides a brief history of the Helpline Center and the current services offered today. As well as an online Community Directory tutorial, the course reviews how to leverage the Create Your Own Guide tool to build comprehensive Resource Lists for your clients.

What you’ll learn

History of the Helpline Center
Current core services at the Helpline Center
How to navigate the online Community Directory tools
How to use the Create Your Own Guide tool