CANTON —The St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau, in partnership with the St. Lawrence County Suicide Awareness Coalition, offered LivingWorks safeTALK training on Wednesday to eight Youth Committee Teen Ambassadors. 

SafeTALK is an internationally recognized half-day workshop that teaches participants to recognize and engage with individuals who may be experiencing thoughts of suicide and connect them with appropriate resources. 

The program helps youth and community members become “suicide alert helpers,” building a stronger safety net across St. Lawrence County.

Teen Ambassadors and community representatives who completed the training included: Teshia White (SLC Veterans Dept.), Ken Taylor (SLC Youth Bureau), Kaitlyn Holmes (HC Williams High School), Anya Bansal (Potsdam Central, Youth Committee Chair), Olivia Rice and Easton Willard (Morristown Central), Jeffery Palma (Edwards-Knox), Tyree Hawkins (Madrid-Waddington), Stanley LaFave (Heuvelton), and Prudence Cutwa (Lisbon). 

The training was supported by Kat Manierre, Public Health Educator with St. Lawrence County Public Health, who served as a community resource throughout the session.

Looking ahead, Teen Ambassadors plan to partner with local schools this year to expand access to safeTALK for students and families. Youth who complete the training would be recognized as “Mental Health Ambassadors,” a new peer-support role providing resources, encouragement, and leadership in schools across St. Lawrence County.

For more information about bringing safeTALK training to your school, organization, or community group, please contact Alexa Backus Chase, at AChase@stlawco.gov or (315) 379-9464.