For All Seasons offers suicide bereavement support goup facilitator training

For All Seasons is partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Maryland to offer Suicide Bereavement Support Group Facilitator training on March 12 and 13, 2025 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Anchor Church, located at 620 Goldsborough Street in Easton.

This training, which offers CEUs, is for mental health professionals and survivors of suicide loss who want to start a support group and current group facilitators who want to strengthen their skills, stay up to date on the latest practices, and explore issues they have encountered while facilitating. It is recommended for participation that survivors of suicide loss have waited at least two years after experiencing a suicide loss and non-clinicians have at least one year of experience participating in a support group.

By the end of this training, participants will understand: the unique needs of suicide loss survivors; develop skills to facilitate a safe and supportive group environment; apply effective communication and active listening techniques; recognize and respond to crisis situations within a support group setting; and utilize AFSP resources and best practices for group facilitation.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the Center for Learning at For All Seasons to help create a community-based support network around suicide bereavement. We have seen this issue impact our community in significant ways over the last several years. This is an effort to help address those needs,” comments Lauren Weber, Vice President of Strategy & Development at For All Seasons.

The training will be led by two professional trainers.  Dr. Pamela Gabbay is part of the training corps of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and travels throughout the country conducting training on their behalf. She is on the Advisory Board for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). Wendy M. Resnick, R.N., M.S., C.S., works as a Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse in inpatient psychiatry and chemical dependency centers. She co-founded The Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association (DRADA), a non-profit organization in collaboration with The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She developed a network of mutual-help support groups across the Mid-Atlantic area and a one-to-one peer support program serving individuals nationwide.

This two-day training includes lecture, interactive discussion, and role-playing, and participating clinicians will receive 14 Category I CEUs, issued by For All Seasons, Inc., an approved continuing education provider for Maryland Social Workers and Professional Counselors. The cost for the two-day training is $175 and includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, and all needed materials for both days. For more information or to register, visit the training website at bit.ly/SupportGroupFacilitatorTraining.

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across the Mid-Shore and throughout the state of Maryland. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.