AUGUSTA — On Friday, March 14, The Maine Suicide Prevention Program will host its annual conference, Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention, at the Augusta Civic Center. The event will feature experts discussing issues such as older adult suicide, sexual violence, survivors and Maine’s new training law for public schools.

Every 14 minutes, someone dies by suicide in the United States. In 2011, 224 Maine people died by suicide, according to the state.

The day will feature workshops on law enforcement and mental health/crisis services collaboration, the needs of school communities when a person dies by suicide, child and adolescent risks and implementing the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, a nationally recognized tool, from crisis to the Emergency Room and into the psychiatric hospital.

In the early afternoon, The Caring About Lives in Maine Awards will be presented to individuals representing the Bangor Police Department, Rockland Police Department, Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Maine Medical Center and Maranacook Community High School for their work in suicide prevention and intervention.

For more information, or to register, visit https://evbdn.eventbrite.com/s3-s3/eventlogos/3100087/beyondthebasicsbrochure2.pdf.