Focus on Life Program

The Guam Focus on Life Program (GFOL) Program aims to increase suicide prevention, intervention and postvention skills among direct service providers and natural helpers, to break the stigma of suicide on mental health and help-seeking, and to improve the standards of suicide-safe care for at-risk youth ages 10-24.

Guam received the GLS suicide prevention grant in 2009-2015, which built awareness in the community about suicide and capacity among youth-serving organizations and direct service providers to respond to youth identified with suicide ideation and behaviors. Over 4,000 gatekeepers were trained in intervention skills. Youth were being referred to community-based mental health care; however, an effective continuity of care was lacking. There is still a need to improve the transitions between service providers to ensure positive patient outcomes through suicide-safer care and aftercare.

The heavy emphasis on indicated prevention strategies focused efforts mostly on individuals with active suicidal thoughts and behaviors and missed opportunities for early identification of individuals who are experiencing grief, by natural helpers who have immediate influence and access to promote help-seeking behaviors. Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, the single state agency for mental health and substance use, will use the 2019 GLS funds to expand and improve selected prevention strategies, to include these missed opportunities.

We invite you to join us in our efforts to break the stigma of suicide on mental health and help-seeking. GFOL offers three different suicide prevention trainings that are free for you to attend:

START: A 90-minute online training that teaches trainees to recognize when someone is thinking about suicide and connect them to help and support.

SafeTALK: A 4-hour face-to-face workshop that teaches you how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, engaging someone, and connecting them to an intervention resource for further support.

ASIST: A 2-day face-to-face workshop that teaches you how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

By attending these trainings, you can gain the necessary skills to help those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.

If you’re interested in attending a training or want to learn more, email staff@peaceguam.org or call 671-646-5194.

To learn more about the work that GFOL has done, visit: https://sites.google.com/view/guam-focus-on-life-report/home

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