ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.  –   “One thing we work on in terms of force readiness is teaching the suicide prevention liaisons how to support the Soldiers in a way that addresses their needs,” said Tifini Steif, Suicide Prevention Program Manager, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command. “We’re trying to encourage and educate our SPLs to be our first line of defense at the unit level in support of their commander.”

31 Soldiers and five trainers from across the country, including U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC), 200th Military Police Command, 416th Theater Engineer Command and the 85th U.S Army Reserve Support Command participated in the three-day Tier 2 Ask Care Escort Suicide Prevention liaison training at the Paul G. Schulstad Army Reserve Center, May 13 -15, 2025, at the 85th USARSC headquarters.

“These Soldiers are from all over the country from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Arizona and Chicago,” said Amanda Pederson, 316th ESC SPPM. “This training brings awareness to our leadership on, not only suicide prevention, but holistic wellness. By taking care of our Soldiers first, it allows us to continue with a mission focused mindset as well.”

The training is showing positive results across the Army Reserve.

“I’ve been a suicide prevention program manager for three years as of June (2025),” said Pederson. “Prior to that I was a suicide prevention liaison. I have absolutely seen positive change within our command.”

A point Steif agreed with as well.

“Suicides have gone down in the Army Reserve. We want Soldiers to come forward when they need to. We want to normalize seeking help. We want to show (Soldiers) that the Army and its leaders are here to support them in all areas of their life,” said Stief.

The course of instruction continues to evolve with new course material added to the curriculum.

“We spent an hour on resources which continues to grow. We do (Commander’s Critical Information Requirements) process now and we have discussions about how to remove a behavioral health profile and security clearances,” said Steif.

The course instructors use a variety of teaching models with the students, including think-pair-share, asking quality questions and role playing to teach the course.

“The purpose is to get the Soldiers to think of different strategies they can use when they teach this class at their home unit. There are many different strategies to teach,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jessie Treseler, a suicide prevention instructor and information technology specialist at the 88th Readiness Division. “One of the strategies I like is role playing because it utilizes a common conversation between two people. Role playing shows how it would happen in real life and how two people react in a conversation. You’re putting two people in an uncomfortable situation. You will remember that feeling a lot stronger and commit it to memory.”

Soldiers, like 1st Lt. Ryan Kang, 327th Military Police Battalion, Arlington Heights, Illinois, will use the training to teach Soldiers the eight-hour course of instruction when they return to their unit.

“Growing up, I’ve always been around the team concept. Looking out for others has always been very important for me. Being here, taking care of Soldiers is one reason I became a 42 Bravo (Human Resources Officer),” said Kang. “It only takes a little bit out of your day to ask about a Soldier. Once you understand a Soldier at a more personal level, you can pick up on the small things that are out of the ordinary for that individual. We’re all here for a greater purpose than ourselves.”