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pect of that.
• "We do have a mental illness counselor that comes a day every other week," Elsen said, "but we have a lack of resources in Marshall County, and it's a big problem. The whole state is failing in mental health situations, and we need to do something about it."
• Strengthening the front line
• Addressing the need for more mental health resources in rural communities through political channels is likely to take time and considerable effort, but while waiting for those efforts to yield fruit, some Dakota communities have found a way to address mental health needs more directly: They are training more people to be effective "first responders" in suicidal situations.
• Some area residents have taken a course called Mental Health First Aid (www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org), "an interactive 12-hour course that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments," according to their website. Trainings were held around the state in 2011, and more could be arranged if a community is interested.
• Another training option is called ASIST, or Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (www.livingworks.net), a two-day workshop "for caregivers who want to feel more comfortable, confident and competent in helping to prevent the immediate risk of suicide." An ASIST training session is set for April 25 in Jamestown; contact Jennifer Lindsey at jlindsey@nd.gov or 701-253-6320 to register.
• The courses aren't intended only for official first responders. Teachers, coaches and ministers are among those who might find the trainings useful, according to McGregor Okroi in Sisseton.
• She said a less intensive training called safeTALK is available for teens. The appropriate response for young people is to get an adult involved, she said, but they can learn the warning signs so they know when and how to get help.
• The more the general public knows about how to help, the better the situation will be, according to Craig Peterson, school counselor at Madison (S.D.) High School.
• "The key is keeping people informed about our steps and procedures," Peterson said. "I think we're well-informed now because it's in the press and media. … Law enforcement, professional and even the public now know better. Teachers are mandated to act, and that's accepted now. People are more comfortable knowing that they have to help, that they need to do it."