Date of Award
5-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Executive Leadership
First Supervisor
Dr. Byron Hargrove
Second Supervisor
Dr. Janice Kelly
Abstract
Veterans are an at-risk population in need of more suicide prevention, given the approximately 7,300 veteran suicides per year, 20 per day. In New York State, veteran suicides are a major issue. One particular suicide awareness training program, safeTALK, created by LivingWorks Education, Inc., a Canadian-based public service organization, has been tested in several countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Scotland, but it has not been tested yet in the United States. Since veteran suicides in New York State continue to occur higher than the national average, the purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a mandated 3-hour safeTALK training on 29 staff workers serving veterans at three veterans’ facilities operated by Samaritan Daytop Village in New York State. Prior to the start of the training, each trainee received a pretest and posttest questionnaire packet. The staff trainees represented all three veterans’ facilities, and they worked in various departments. The findings revealed that the 3-hour safeTALK suicide awareness training had a significant positive effect on the staff members’ attitudes, self-efficacy beliefs, and willingness to listen and engage a veteran experiencing suicidal ideation. The training was not successful in changing the preexisting suicidal beliefs of the staff members, but the implications for safeTALK as an effective training method in the United States is discussed. Based on the results of the study, the researcher recommended further studies of other at-risk populations within the United States as well as a more comprehensive review of the qualitative and quantitative questions based on the research population.
Recommended Citation
Romero, Melvyn A., "The Effectiveness of safeTALK Suicide Awareness Training on Staff Members’ Willingness to Engage Suicidal Veterans at Veterans’ Facilities in New York State" (2019). Education Doctoral. Paper 633.
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_etd/633
Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations.