H.O.P.E. Certification
H.O.P.E. Certification
United Survivors is pleased to be a H.O.P.E. Certification Trainer. H.O.P.E Certification is a community-level initiative that brings together cities, counties, and medium to large businesses, nonprofits, associations and coalitions to learn about and implement best practices to create change at the institutional and community level. H.O.P.E. Certification is delivered in a regional cohort model kicking off with a Workplace Wellbeing Summit that is co-hosted by United Survivors and a Regional Champion.
After the Summit, regional Cohort Module sign-up begins, allowing community organizations to sign up teams of 5-10 people to attend a year-long Cohort. Throughout the year, the Cohort meets 4 times to go over training and identify their action plans. In between Cohort Modules, organizations are able to meet with their trainer to discuss challenges and successes, receive coaching and submit their deliverables and reports on action steps. Cohort participants receive a H.O.P.E. Certification badge for each module and deliverables they complete. At the end of the training modules, the Cohort is brought together for a celebration and graduation. United Suicide Survivors International aims to implement at least 5 Workplace Wellbeing Summit/Regional Cohorts per year. Scroll below to learn more about H.O.P.E. Certification. If you are interested in implementing H.O.P.E. Certification in your business or community, please contact us at info@unitesurvivors.org or sign up below.
Current Cohorts in Process
NoSo Colorado Collaborative
Idaho/Washington Collaborative
Galveston Workplace Wellbeing Summit
Eagle County Workplace Wellbeing Summit
Phoenix, AZ Cohort
Michigan Cohort
How It Works
Step 1: Workplace Wellbeing Summit
US works with a Regional Champion to co-host a Workplace Wellbeing Summit in your community. We provide 2-3 trainers for a full day conference and provide best practices recommendations for setting up the summit. Often, Regional Champions cover the costs of the event, or charge registration fees or engage funders and sponsors to cover the costs.
Step 2: Cohort Readiness Assessment
Following the Summit, United Survivors works with the Regional Champion to establish 4 Cohort Module dates and launches a community-specific registration process for regional organizations and businesses to sign up for the Cohort. The first part of the process is for interested organizations to complete a Readiness Assessment.
Step 3: Cohort Module Registration
Organizations and businesses who successfully complete the Readiness Assessment are invited to enroll teams of 5-10 in their regional Cohorts.
Step 4: Cohort Module Implementation
The Cohorts typically meet 4 times over the course of a 12-month period with Cohorts covering 4 modules. Throughout the process Cohorts can meet with their trainers to receive coaching and guidance.
Module 1: Needs and Strengths Assessment | Practices 1 & 2
Module 2: Practices 3-5
Module 3: Practices 6-8
Module 4: Practice 9 and final impact actions
Step 5: Certification and Graduation
Businesses and organizations that successfully complete the modules and implementation practices receive badges and certifications as they go along, cultivating in an end of program graduation.
Outcomes & Learning Goals
H.O.P.E. Certification is a 12-month culture-changing program with quarterly training and ongoing coaching on how to implement 9 evidence-based, best practices developed from research, literature and lived experience. Participants will learn to:
Engage Leadership: Cultivate a caring culture focused on community well-being and leadership role modeling
Reduce Psychosocial Hazards: Assess and address job strain and toxic work contributors
Build a Culture-Shifting Communication Strategy: Increase awareness and understanding of mental health, addictive behaviors, and suicide while reducing fear and bias
Foster Self-Care Orientation: Encourage self-screening, stress inoculation planning, and self-care
Establish a Skill-Development Training: Build a stratified skill-building approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention across the organization and career of the workforce
Develop Workplace Peer Supporters and Well-Being Ambassadors: Establish informal and formal initiatives for peer allies to offer support and be a bridge to resources
Audit and Promote Mental Health and Crisis Resources: Evaluate the effectiveness and accessibility of resources and engage the workforce utilization
Mitigate Risk: Increase lethal means safety, engage in harm reduction, and understand legal issues
Institute a Crisis Response Plan: Support, accommodate, reintegrate, and offer postvention after mental health emergencies
About the Program
H.O.P.E. Certification was developed by Dr. Sally Spencer Thomas, with input and guidance from United Suicide Survivors Interational, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Workplace Suicide Prevention Committee. Certifications are provided by Evergreen Certifications and evaluated by Research Evaluation Consulting. To learn more about the program, please visit the H.O.P.E. Certification Official Website.