Alliance Alert: At a time when so many systems are failing and critical supports are being defunded, how do we continue to show up for one another? How do we lean into community-building, compassion, and support instead of fear and division?
The Wildflower Alliance is hosting a series of learning opportunities that bring people together to reimagine how we respond to emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, self-injury, and other struggles. These trainings are designed for anyone—whether you’re a peer supporter, a mental health professional seeking new tools, or a loved one who wants to offer meaningful support.
All sessions are led by facilitators with personal experience navigating these challenges and who use harm reduction and peer support approaches that are rarely taught in traditional clinical settings.
Join the conversation and help build a more compassionate, connected community. See below for more information, including registration for the training sessions.
How do we continue show up for each other when every day systems are failing and supports are being defunded? How do we lean into community-building and care in times of polarization? How do we respond from compassion rather than fear?
Wildflower Alliance learning opportunities are meant to bring people together to envision a better world for folks that are struggling with thoughts of suicide, overwhelm and emotional distress. Maybe you are one of those folks yourself. Maybe you are a mental health professional looking for new tools in tough times. Maybe you want to show up for a family member or friend who self-injures or hears voices. We welcome you to join the conversation.
All Wildflower Alliance trainings are facilitated by people who have personal experience navigating the topic at hand. Each facilitator also has extensive experience supporting others using harm reduction models that are rarely taught within clinical settings.
“Intentional Peer Support” Overview
This Friday!
Learn more about the mutual support model that is now being used throughout the world
Friday, October 10th, 12pm to 3pm Eastern on Zoom
Intentional Peer Support was created to establish a new way of building relationship and understanding each other. Its purpose is to transform the world through dialogue and avoid replicating already existing clinical models that may have been ineffective or harmful.
This overview is designed for people that may have heard of Intentional Peer Support before but have not been able to invest the time into taking the full 40 hour Core training. This interactive session will introduce you to the Four Tasks of Intentional Peer Support and support you to envision how to use them in your professional and personal relationships. IPS philosophy is all about opening up new ways of seeing, thinking and doing. Hope to see you there!
Register Here
Alternatives to Suicide Overview!!
Wednesday, November 5th, 12pm to 4pm Eastern via Zoom!
Alternatives to Suicide was developed in 2008 by people who’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts and attempts. It began as a support group and has since grown into a harm reduction approach that can be used by clinicians and other providers, family members, peer supporters and anyone else interested in better supporting someone who might be navigating thoughts of killing themself.
The first half of the session will review the history of and evidence for this approach and some of the fundamental paradigm shifts that it involves. The second half will include discussion of the VCVC dialogue model with role plays to help illustrate how it works.
This 8 hour training will meet on Tuesday, November 18th and
Thursday, November 20th from 10am-2pm Eastern Time(9am-1pm Central / 8am-12pm Mountain / 7am-11am Pacific).
In this workshop, we will embrace harm reduction philosophy to go deeper into the context of self-injury on both an individual and social level.
We will also explore how letting go of force and coercion can open new avenues of support. This includes managing our own fears so they don’t get in the way or drive us to do something that is more harm than help!
This workshop is open to anyone including clinicians, peer supporters, family members, first responders and others interested in learning how to better support a person who is self-injuring.
There is so much more we can do for people than just saying “You need to stop doing that!”
Register Here
Hearing Voices Group Facilitator Training
Join the global movement to build community, support and dignity for those who hear voices, see visions or experience alternative realities!
In current Western paradigms, hearing voices is often a deeply marginalized experience. People who hear voices and/or see visions are typically given a poor prognosis. Suggested coping strategies tend to be limited to distraction techniques or heavy neuroleptics. Clinicians, voice-hearers and family members often felt frustrated by the limitations of this model.
Another world is possible and you can be a part of it! We invited you to take part in this learning opportunity with facilitators who both have personal experience hearing voices and extensive professional experience supporting others.
Hearing Voices Group Facilitator Training Online Tuesdays and Thursdays from December 2nd through December 18th, 11am-3pm Eastern Time (10am-2pm Central Time, 9am-1pm Mountain Time, 8am-12pm Pacific Time)
“When Conversation Turns to Suicide”
Wildflower Alliance’s most sought-out training–
“This is the stuff that I WISH they had taught me in graduate school.” – Training participant in a clinical role
This 16 hour training is designed as an more effective alternative to models like ASIST, QPR and other suicide prevention curricula that ultimately focus on very limited approaches and protocols. We will explore ways to shift the paradigm around suicide. We will expand our dialogue tool box and build our confidence around discussing big emotions and painful experiences. Ultimately, there is a lot we each can offer beyond just a hotline number or the same standardized risk assessment questions.
ONLINE via Zoom
The training will be held on the following dates:
- Monday, December 1
- Friday, December 5
- Monday, December 8
- Friday, December 12
All days will be scheduled for 12pm to 4pm Eastern USA time (11am to 3pm Central, 10am to 2pm Mountain, 9am to 1pm Pacific)
6-Session Class: Working with Hearing Voices & Unusual Beliefs
- Tuesday, Jan 20, 10-2pm: Three Stages of Hearing Voices
- Wednesday, Jan 21, 10-2pm: Three Stages of Unusual Beliefs/”Paranoia”
- Thursday, Jan 22, 10-11:30am: Maastricht Interview Overview
- Tuesday, Jan 27, 9-4pm: Using Maastricht for Voices
- Wednesday, Jan 28, 9-4pm: Using Maastricht for Unusual Beliefs/”Paranoia”
- Thursday, Jan 29, 10-2pm: How to Use What’s Learned from Maastricht
This training will be held on-line and facilitated by Peter Bullimore and colleagues
All times listed in Eastern Daylight Time