Q: I have just been assigned as the POC for the suicide and violence awareness program. What responsibilities do I have as compared to the IDS and CAIB, and how do we coordinate?
A: Please read AFI 44-154 Suicide and Violence Awareness Education. This revised AFI should be released by Dec 02.
The Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP) is a line program, it is owned by the CSAF. The OPR for the AFSPP is the Air Force Surgeon General (AF/SG). The LSSC serves as the OPR for implementation of the standardized educational content and coordination of instruction. The installation IDS is responsible for providing instructors to support the program. The IDS chairperson will report any problems in implementing the program to the Community Action and Information Board (CAIB). The IDS chairperson reports the briefing metrics to the CAIB and MAJCOM IDS.
Q: Who is ultimately accountable for the suicide prevention and education program?
A: The answer is everyone! Obviously, the LSSC and IDS play a critical lead role, but other responsible parties include each unit commander, the Unit Training Managers (UTMs), the AFSPP Manager, suicide prevention subject matter experts, and the CAIB. AFI 44-154 is clear as to who is responsible for the various aspects of the program.
Q: Who besides LSSC staff can be qualified to provide the briefings?
A: Anyone the IDS has identified as a subject matter expert can conduct the briefings. This includes IDS approved Chaplains, Family Support Center personnel, Family Advocacy staff, etc. All IDS approved instructors should be fully trained on the requirements set forth in AFI 44-154 for such a briefing. A formal letter of appointment as an IDS identified instructor is recommended.
Q: Can training be performed by videotape at the unit level or Power Point presentation on a computer?
A: No. The AFI requires a live presentation of the material. Exceptions to this presentation method can be made for Air Force members and civilian employees who are assigned to units that are geographically separate from the installation Integrated Delivery System (IDS). The Air Force Suicide Prevention Program Manager, as detailed, will review educational activities developed supplemental to the AFI and will approve variations in program delivery.
Q: What kind of supplemental suicide information can be used in the briefing? I have seen numerous Power Point presentations, videos, etc. Do I have to stick to the standardized briefing material?
A: In answer to the last question, YES. You must comply with the standardized briefing content set forth in AFI 44-154. You can enhance various points of the AFI with additional examples and multimedia, but it cannot replace the standardized requirements. Familiarizing yourself with supplemental Air Force multimedia materials that support and enhance AFI 44-154 is encouraged.
Q: I anticipate that periodic updates will be necessary to the material. How will I receive these?
A: The AFSPP Manager will send updated material to the MAJCOM IDS chairs who will forward the information to the IDS chairs within their respective commands. In addition, the information will be placed on the AFSPP Website and distributed to the MAJCOM Behavioral Health Consultants.
Q: Who is responsible for the metrics?
A: The IDS chair forwards the metrics to the CAIB, but in reality everyone is responsible for the metrics. Unit commanders ultimately bear the responsibility for their personnel completing the mandatory suicide and violence awareness education program. All UTMs will coordinate, schedule, and track the training of unit personnel and report quarterly data, in the proper format, to the IDS Chairperson or representative. The data is reviewed and then forwarded to the MAJCOM/SG and also briefed to the installation commander through the CAIB.
Q: What is the proper format for recording the metrics?
A: A sample recording sheet is included as an attachment to AFI 44-154. The metrics are broken down into two categories, military and civilian, and reported as Trained Personnel Requirement (TPR), Total Personnel Trained (TPT), and Percentage Trained (%TRN). TPR may change during the course of the year due to PCS, retirements/separations etc. TPT should also be additive, meaning the percent trained should increase each quarter until the goal of 100% is obtained by the 4th quarter.
Q: Not everyone is enthusiastic about getting more briefings, especially information they’ve heard before. What should I do if there is non-compliance?
A: Report the metrics/problems to the IDS Chairperson. It is then pushed up through the installation CAIB. The bottom line is that unit commander and direct supervisor involvement is critical to the program’s success, and the CAIB is the forum to bring this to the attention of the wing leadership.
Q: I receive numerous requests for the suicide and violence prevention briefing to be provided at commander’s calls, but they only allow me 10 minutes. What should my response be?
A: Explain that 10 minutes is not enough time for all aspects of the material to be covered. Hold your ground and emphasize the importance of the material. Emphasize the briefing is not just about suicide, but also about how we as a community take care of one another. Offer to email General Foglesong’s 15 Jul 02 memo where he requests the briefing receive at least 30 minutes.
Q: Is it better to hit squadrons one at a time or brief in the base theater or elsewhere to larger groups of people?
A: There are two prevailing approaches and both have advantages. The first is to provide the awareness and education briefings at a squadron commander’s call. Depending on the size, you may need to provide the briefing more than once, and time allotted at the commander’s call may not be enough. The other approach is to provide the briefings spread out over several days, or a week’s time frame where you are briefing perhaps twice a day. You will have to determine the best approach at your installation, considering the number of instructors, size of the base population, etc. The primary concern is face-to-face instruction and adherence to the material in AFI 44-154. In an ideal world, the method of presentation would be live presentation, using accompanying slides in conjunction with the AFI requirements, to a group of 20-50 Airmen.
Q: I sometimes get calls from wing leadership to provide the most current suicide data. Can I anticipate a monthly SESS2 report will be available or accessible?
A: Yes. The Suicide Event Surveillance System 2 is available for use by MAJCOM and wings in support of the training and intervention efforts. You may obtain the most current data from your MAJCOM Behavioral Health Consultant.
Q: Who completes the SESS?
A: Two mental health POCs are authorized to enter data on suicide attempts. The OSI fills out the form on completed suicides. The SESS2 website for those authorized to enter data on the forms is: https://sess.afms.mil/sess2/login/login.cfm
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