Suicide Intervention Officers (SIO)

A Note From Your Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Christina Cernansky:

Hello IDARNG SIO & ASIST trained soldiers!

I wanted to follow-up with you as your IDARNG Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) and thank you for accepting the responsibility of being trained in ASIST. Some of you may or may not have been appointed as your unit’s Suicide Intervention Officer (SIO). If you have, your unit should have drafted a memo stating your appointment as SIO. If this memo has already been submitted, thank you. If not, please send a copy to the email address below; as I am required to keep them on file.

If you are your unit’s SIO, this is the first of regular monthly emails aimed at providing you with new information on suicide prevention, updates on IDARNG regulations, and other useful materials. My goal as your SPC is to make sure you are successfully set up to keep your unit mission-ready with suicide prevention, intervention, and post-vention training. Inevitably, it is up to you and your Command Team to decide what successful briefings look like, and I would like to assist you in that endeavor. If you have questions or concerns regarding required training and/or content, please let me know and I will be happy to discuss this further.

Per your SIO training, we are going to ask you to coordinate with your units UPL’s and MRT’s on monthly briefings to amplify the message of resiliency, mental wellness, and knowing what resources are available to help a solider navigate life outside of the Guard. Below is a list of attachments that can help further your interest in building resiliency & help in getting ideas for short briefs for drill.

In May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, the IDNG and Service Member and Family Programs social media channels will be pushing out messaging regarding mental wellness. Please make sure you follow those outlets on social media! In addition, we will be pushing out the opportunity to take a 90-minute training called START for those that do not have the time or do not necessarily need to take the 2-day ASIST training. This is part of a “100 Days of Mental Wellness” pushed out by NGB and want to put forth a good effort as a healthy competition with the other Guards. (Attached is more info and this is the link to register for command.)

Thank you again for your involvement with suicide prevention in the IDNG! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any additional questions or comments.

V/R

Christina Cernansky
Suicide Prevention Coordinator
Idaho National Guard
Federal Contractor
W. 208-272-8522
C. 208-309-8422
Christina.r.cernansky.ctr@army.mil

Suicide Intervention Officers (SIO)

What to do in the event of a Crisis:

Learn More About Our Program

Resources

More Useful Videos and Educational Resources:

Commander’s Hotline

Suicide Hotline

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SARC)