Vivat Suicide Prevention offers the courses Response - responding to suicidal thoughts, Aware of suicidal thoughts (OPS!), First aid at risk of suicide and FriskOpp to the population throughout the country, as well as training course leaders on its own course leader courses. Vivat guides, supports and quality assures the course leader network. In addition, Vivat has developed the educational film Ask About Suicide, SOS.

Suicide is a major social problem. Vivat offers training in how you can learn to become more aware, recognise signals and provide first aid to people at risk of suicide. The courses Vivat delivers are designed to give course participants a common set of skills, irrespective of profession and academic background. The courses stimulate increased collaboration between different services and centres of expertise.

Vivat is funded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. We are part of the University Hospital of Northern Norway, Mental Health and Addiction Clinic. Vivat is led from Tromsø and has counsellors affiliated with all health regions. We have around 180 active course leaders for First Aid for Suicide Risk, 80 course leaders for OPS! and 8 course leaders for Respons. Vivat collaborates with other suicide prevention organisations. Vivat was established in Northern Norway in 1998. Since its inception, we have had more than 55,000 participants in our courses. Apart from Vivat's educational film Ask About Suicide, SOS, all the courses Vivat delivers are developed by LivingWorks in Canada. The original names of the courses First Aid for Suicide Risk and Aware of Suicidal Ideation are Applied Suicied Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and safeTALK, respectively. Vivat manages and adapts the courses to Norwegian conditions. The courses have undergone several revisions to ensure that they always reflect best clinical practice and national and international research. The courses are used in several countries and more than 2 million people around the world have gained awareness and first aid skills through similar courses delivered by Vivat.

The course is free for students. Employees can get in touch if there is interest.
REGISTRATION: [email protected]
Course instructor:
Janet Ververda
Senior Lecturer Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Department of Nursing and Health Sciences Campus Porsgrunn
[email protected]
35 57 54 24
Resource person Tommy Ballestad