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Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Mental Health Center will hold one of its biannual "gatekeeper training" workshops Monday at the Yampa River State Park Visitor Center in Hayden.

Lisa Foley, suicide prevention coordinator for the center, said the two-day seminar is designed to give locals who aren't credentialed health-care providers the knowledge to recognize the signs of depression or thoughts of suicide in others. Foley said gatekeeper training is so named because it gives people a key to open up and help others out.

"They learn also during those two days the resources we have here in Routt County," Foley said.

Participants will learn to link people with community resources, apply a model for intervention, reach out and offer support, recognize opportunities to help and recognize the warning signs of depression and suicide.

Foley said participants will learn sensitive ways to broach the subject of suicide with those they may feel are at risk. Instead of bluntly asking someone if they are considering suicide, Foley said the workshop will teach a "nicer, softer, delicate way to reach out to people."

Foley said the workshops already have trained about 60 people in Routt and Moffat counties, many of whom ended up using the things they learned. Foley said a survey sent out 30 days after each workshop shows the tools taught are often used immediately.

"It's surprising the number of people who actually use it," Foley said.

Foley said Colorado has the ninth-highest suicide rate in the country and the rate is even higher in the northwest part of the state.

The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the Yampa River State Park Visitor Center in Hayden. The workshop is free, and Foley said anyone from Routt and Moffat counties is welcome to attend.

- To reach Brandon Gee, call 871-4210

or e-mail bgee@steamboatpilot.com