Navigating suicide prevention as a Deaf social work student

Sam O'Donnell is a social work student, who recently took part in ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). In this piece, Sam reflects on how being Deaf influenced her own experience in a challenging, but positive way.  

I’m a Deaf social work student currently on placement with the SCOPE team at Perth & Kinross Council.

British Sign Language (BSL) is my first language, and I rely on interpreters daily for full access in professional settings.

Recently, I completed the ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), and it left a lasting impression on me both professionally and personally.

I was encouraged to attend the training by my link worker and practice educator.

As the training progressed, it brought back powerful memories from 2016, when a Deaf friend of mine died by suicide.

It had a deep impact on me and the wider Deaf community, and made me reflect on how isolated and unsupported Deaf people can feel when navigating mental health services built for hearing, able-bodied society.

The training was inclusive and emotionally challenging. I brought my own BSL interpreters, who I chose specifically because they don’t just interpret words, they represent me.

I honestly cannot function in the hearing world without them, they are my ears, my voice, and I value them deeply.

This training explored sensitive and distressing topics. I know it must have been difficult for the interpreters too, possibly bringing up their own experiences or memories. But they remained calm and professional throughout, which I truly admire. Their emotional strength allowed me to focus fully and participate equally.

Before attending, I contacted the training provider to explain my access needs.

The response was outstanding.

The trainer Kevin approached me first thing on the day to check everything was set up for accessibility.

During breaks, they asked if anything needed to be adapted.

Before the role play segment, they checked with me about how it would work if I do role play with other participant. And before the Carolyn and Kevin demonstration, they asked how two voices could be interpreted clearly.

Thankfully, I had two interpreters with me, and we agreed one would interpret Kevin and the other Carolyn to making it easy for me to follow who was speaking. These small adjustments made a huge difference and broke down barriers that often go unaddressed in training spaces.

One scenario during the training really stayed with me. We imagined stopping to help someone in crisis in a specific setting.

I thought what if I saw someone, stopped to help, and they were hearing? How would I communicate in a high-stress, noisy environment? Would a text-to-speech app work with traffic and wind? What if I couldn’t say anything? The trainer later shared research showing that simply being present can reduce the risk of suicide, which reassured me.

But I still felt the emotional weight of the “what if”.

During a group discussion, I shared my reflections, and the trainer connected me with a colleague.

I’ve since put myself forward to train as an ASIST trainer in future. I believe Deaf people should be represented not just as service users, but as trainers and leaders too.

ASIST has also shaped my academic direction. I’m now planning to base my dissertation on mental health in the Deaf community, focusing on the stigma and access barriers that prevent Deaf people from seeking help. This includes issues like limited interpreter availability, fear of confidentiality breaches, and services not being culturally or linguistically Deaf-aware.

This training helped me realise that suicide prevention isn’t just about what you say, it’s also about how you show up and how you adapt. As a Deaf person navigating a hearing world, I want to be part of building systems that include us fully, respectfully, and with care.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help, speak to someone you trust or call one of these helplines:

• Samaritans 116 123 or use the online chat at samaritans.org

• Breathing Space 0800 83 85 87

• NHS 24 mental health hub on 111

If you are ever in immediate danger or have the means to cause yourself harm, you should dial 999 and request an ambulance.