MVCEAB To Offer Gatekeeper Suicide Awareness Training

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The Moapa Valley Community Education Advisory Board (MVCEAB) is sponsoring a free Gatekeeper Suicide Awareness Training program for Moapa Valley adults on Tuesday, April 13 at 5:30 pm. The training will be held at the Overton Senior Center/Rec Center at 325 N. Cooper Street in Overton.

“We are encouraging anyone in the community who works with kids to sign up for this training and attend,” said MVCEAB Chairwoman Wendy Mulcock. “That includes teachers, coaches, bus drivers, religious leaders and even concerned parents.”

Mulcock explained that the MVCEAB had become involved in this effort because of a dialog that board members had recently held with school counselors regarding mental health of teens in the community during the pandemic shutdowns of the past year.

“We have heard the statistics of the increase in suicide attempts among children in the Clark County School District,” Mulcock said. “But this is not just a problem that is taking place somewhere else in the district. We have learned that there are issues very close to home right here in the valley. Our kids are hurting. So we felt strongly that something needed to be done to start a conversation in the community.”

The guest speaker for this event will be Richard Egan who will give the live presentation via an online platform. The class will instruct participants in what to look for and listen to in order to notice the signs of a young person who might be in danger of self harm or suicide.

“Richard Egan will teach about asking the right questions to find out how to help kids through difficult times,” Mulcock said. “And also how to know when the kid needs more help than you can give, as well as what resources are out there to get them that help.”

Mulcock said that the training is limited in capacity. So when the MVCEAB began organizing the training, they decided to begin by specifically inviting the local clergy and other religious leaders involved with youth.

“I reached out to every church in the community to invite their leaders,” Mulcock said. “We felt like that was a good start. But even with that, at this point, there is still plenty of space available in the session. So we are opening it to whoever wants to register and attend.”

Registration is being done now on an Eventbrite online platform. To register, go to the MVCEAB Facebook page and click on the Eventbrite link for the training.

For more information about the training contact Dianna Walker at 702-397-2604 Ext. 0.