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Soul Shop™
TOOL BOXRESOURCES FOR PLANNING TEAMS
Soul Shop™, LLC3524 Washington PikeBridgeville, PA 15017
www.soulshopmovement.org
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Toolbox . . . . . . . 1
Important Contact Information . . . . . . . 1
Key Roles . . . . . . . . . . 2
What is Soul ShopTM? . . . . . . . . 3
Training Objectives . . . . . . . . 3
The Soul ShopTM Terminology . . . . . . . 5
Event Planning Timeline . . . . . . . . 6
Partnerships . . . . . . . . . 12
Finances of the Event . . . . . . . . 13
Promotional Strategy . . . . . . . . 15
Logistics . . . . . . . . . . 22
Registration . . . . . . . . . 24
Appendix 1: Mission, Vision, History and Philosophy . . . . 25
Appendix 2: Soul ShopTM Training Options . . . . . . 27
Appendix 3: The Soul ShopTM Team . . . . . . 28
Appendix 4: Logistics for ASIST . . . . . . . 29
Appendix 5: Logistics for Soul ShopTM for Youth Leaders . . . . 31
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Introduction to the Soul ShopTM Tool BoxThank you for hosting a Soul Shop™ training.
Soul Shop™ trainings provide both inspirational and practical tools to help congregational leaders form safe organizations for people who are impacted by suicidal desperation. By bringing this training to your area you are reducing isolation as well as saving lives that may have otherwise been lost to suicide.
Soul Shop™ endeavors to shift the culture of faith communities by working collaboratively with regional partners to develop strategies that systematically engage leaders in three trainings, (a) Soul Shop™ for Leaders, (b) Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers, and (c) Soul Shop™ ASIST.
This Tool Box seeks to provide all the tools you need to organize Soul Shop™ for Leaders or Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers in your location. A separate Tool Box is provided for the ASIST training (ASIST Tool Box).
The core of the Tool Box is in the next five pages. We encourage you to read these carefully. If you are using an electronic version, these pages provide links to further information in the rest of the document and external documents that provide details for organizing this event. Depending on your experience with networking and event-planning, different aspects will be helpful to you. We await the opportunity to walk you through the Tool Box in a detailed way and answer all questions.
All materials within this document belong to Soul Shop™. The Organizer has permission to copy all or portions of this notebook for planning purposes.
Thank you for partnering with us!- The Soul Shop™ Team
Important Contact InformationYour Liaison provides initial and conceptual contact between the Soul Shop™ team and host organizations. He/she will guide you through the process of hosting a Soul Shop™ training in your location. To have a Liaison assigned to you, please contact Michelle Snyder at 814-758-2056.Liaison Name: ____________________________________________________
Liaison Contact: Email: _________________________ Phone: ______________General inquiries: [email protected]
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Key RolesThe OrganizerThe Organizer is the agency or faith community that is taking overall responsibility for the Soul Shop™ training including the contractual, financial, and organizational components.
The Executive TeamThe Executive Team is the group of persons recruited and convened by the Organizer to oversee the Soul Shop™ training. It is helpful for the Executive Team to establish roles for members.
Team Lead This person is appointed by the Organizer to provide leadership for the entire process and serve as the point person in communicating with the Soul Shop™ Liaison.Email:Phone:
Logistics Lead
This person holds the detailed view of the various component parts of the event. They are responsible for all background logistics of the event.Email:Phone:
Registrar This person answers questions, takes phone calls, responds to emails, keeps track of online registrations and run the registration table on the day of the event.Email:
Phone:
PromotionalLead
This person puts together and implements a promotional plan. This includes networking, promotion through social media, and other means of promotion.Email:Phone:
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Your Soul Shop™ LiaisonYour Soul Shop™ Liaison will support your process in the following ways:
Provide a digital copy of this Tool Box to reproduce for Team members. Schedule your Soul Shop™. Provide guidance in establishing a budget for your training. Designate a presenter for your training. Meet monthly with the Team Lead to assist in the planning process.
What Is Soul Shop™?It is critical for every member of your team to understand the purpose of Soul Shop™ prior to entering into the planning process. The mission of Soul Shop™ is to equip congregations to minister to persons impacted by suicidal desperation. This includes four groups of persons:a) persons who are currently engaged in suicidal thinkingb) persons who are concerned about a friend or family member who may be suicidalc) persons who have lost a friend or family member to suicided) persons who have recovered from a period of suicidal thinking in the pastAbout half the members of a typical faith community fall into one of these four categories. Soul Shop™ works with local teams to systematically engage congregations in a cluster of three trainings to address these needs:
[1] Soul Shop™ for Leaders is a one day training designed for clergy, staff, lay pastors, and faith-based clinicians to develop soul-safe communities by equipping members to address suicidal desperation as a regular aspect of their life and work.
[2] Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers is a one day training designed for youth pastors, lay professionals, volunteers, church school teachers, and Christian school teachers to address the unique needs of youth ages 11 to 18 who are impacted by suicidal desperation.
[3] Soul Shop™ ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is a two-day training designed for leaders and faith-based clinicians which integrates intervention skills into the Soul Shop™ vision of creating soul-safe communities.
A positive and lasting impact upon a community is best achieved when all three of these components are bundled into a cluster of trainings that are appropriately sequenced in a region. Training pastors to address the needs of adults (Soul Shop™ for Leaders) without addressing the needs of youth (Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers) leaves a significant population at risk. Without intervention skills (Soul Shop™ ASIST) faith communities are trained to talk about suicide without knowing where to turn in a crisis. A large percentage of participants in a Soul Shop™ training indicate they want to receive further training.
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In your initial conversation with your Soul Shop™ Liaison you will be asked to schedule all three. However, we realize that some communities need to focus on a more programmatic approach and will want to offer a single training. We believe that valuable skills are offered in all our Soul Shop™ trainings.
FinancesSoul Shop™ has designed these three trainings to be approximately revenue neutral at the following levels of attendance and tuition:
Training Attendance Tuition
Soul Shop™ for Leaders 50 $50/person
Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers 50 $50/person
Soul Shop™ ASIST 30 $190/person
Organizers generally find that Soul Shop™ represents a good donor opportunity for those who want to help sponsor a training. Every dollar raised from sponsors reduces the revenue required from tuition and potentially increases attendance. Revenue and expenses can vary widely from one community to another with the result that an organization may have a financial surplus or deficit from Soul Shop™ trainings.
Training ObjectivesA Soul ShopTM training has four objectives:
1. Familiarize participants with the incidence and impact of suicidal desperation on the adults and youth in their faith communities and beyond
2. Train participants in a simple, conversational method for saving the life of someone considering suicide.
3. Equip participants to address suicidal desperation as a regular aspect of their life and work.
4. Engage participants in an ongoing, strategic effort to shift the way that faith communities deal with suicide.
The first two objectives are the focus of the morning session; the 3rd and 4th objectives are the focus of the afternoon session.
Optional Soul Shop™ Resources
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[1] CAST (Community Awareness Skills Training) is a 90 minute, secular suicide awareness training which uses SuicideTALK, a curriculum developed LivingWorks Education. It is designed for the entire community including teachers, parents, first responders, medical professionals, veteran organizations, and senior centers.
[2] Reinvention Coach Training is a one-day workshop designed for mental health professionals who want to develop skills that help persons reinvent their lives.
[3] ConvergenceTM is a one-day process through which leaders develop a suicide prevention plan for their community. The leaders represent key stakeholders including mental health agencies, educational institutions, faith communities, first responders, political offices, and local businesses.
Soul Shop™ TerminologyChampion: A person or organization who is willing to promote a Soul Shop™
training across their network of relationships. Executive Team: The group of people who work with the Organizer to implement
Soul ShopTM events. Ideally at least four people.First Day Person: Someone who has never experienced suicidal desperation but wants
to support those who do.Second Day Person: Someone who has gone through the dark night of suicidal
desperation and come out the other side to a new hope.Soul Safe Community: A community in which persons who are impacted by suicidal
desperation can speak freely and receive help without fear of judgement.
Sponsor: A person or organization who makes a financial contribution to support a Soul Shop™ training.
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Event Planning Timeline5-6 Months Ahead: Initial Contact
Contact the Soul Shop™ office to gain initial information and express interest
Learn about Soul ShopTM (www.soulshopmovement.org)
Process whether sponsoring Soul ShopTM works well for your organization:Can we recruit persons who will serve on an Executive Team?Do we have the network that will enable us to have 25 to 80 persons in attendance?Do we have the finance resources to offer Soul Shop™ trainings at a reasonable tuition for our community?
Determine which Soul Shop™ trainings are of interestSoul Shop™ for Leaders Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers Soul Shop™ ASIST Optional trainings
4-5 Months Ahead: Schedule and Form your Team Set a date for your Soul Shop™ training through your Soul Shop™ Liaison Sign and return the contract developed by your Soul Shop™ Liaison Brainstorm partnering organizations and people with the goal of forming an executive
team of at least four people. Among the executive team, determine how team responsibilities will be divided. Brainstorm and develop list of potential Champions and Sponsors Develop a list of target audiences to whom Soul Shop™ will be marketed.
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3 Months Ahead: Early LogisticsTeam Lead
Provide all communication between the team and the Soul Shop™ Liaison.
Keep track of progress of team members in their roles.
Continue to work with partners to ensure the enactment of their promised roles.
Continue to seek financial and promotional partners.
Logistics LeadGather all costs- related information from team members; work with your team lead on setting a price point for your Soul Shop™ Training.
Research appropriate venues; determine venue
Determine whether food or beverages will be provided at the event and a general cost point for those.
RegistrarWork on creating online registration options.
Provide registration links and instructions to Promotional Lead to include in promotional material.
Send registration link to Soul Shop™ office to include on the national Soul Shop™ website here.
Promotional LeadCreate a promotional strategy and work through details of how to implement it.
Adapt promotional material provided by Soul Shop™ to the details of your event.
Work with registrar to make sure all promotional materials interface smoothly with registration process.
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2 Months Ahead: Promotion, Registration and Trainer ContactTeam Lead
Provide all communication between the team and the Soul Shop™ Liaison.
Keep track of progress of team members in their roles.
Continue to work with partners to ensure the enactment of their promised roles.
Continue to seek financial and promotional partners.
Logistics LeadBe in touch with the Soul Shop™ trainer to sort out travel plans, accommodations, arrival times, etc.
Finalize the details of the event schedule with the trainer
RegistrarRespond to all questions about the event by email or phone.
Keep track of all registrations through a spreadsheet. A shared google sheet is recommended so other team members can track the registration numbers.
Communicate current registration number to other team members every couple of weeks.
Promotions LeadWork on widespread distribution of promotional materials.
Work on networking face-to-face, with groups, and with organizations to increase registration.
Determine whether further promotional strategies are needed.
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Last Month: Final DetailsTeam Lead
Continue to provide all communication between the team and the Soul Shop™ Liaison.
Continue to keep track of progress of team members in their roles.
Continue to work with partners to ensure the enactment of their promised roles.
Consider the role and process of long-term organizational changes in your organization.
Logistics LeadWork with the venue on setup & audio-visual needs.
Finalize ordering, delivery, setup & distribution of food and beverages at the event.
Work with the promotions lead to determine promo table setup.
Work through a hospitality plan for the trainer.
RegistrarTwo weeks before the event, send your current registration to the Soul Shop™ office. They will add about 15% to your number to make sure you have enough to cover last minute registrations.
Continue to respond to event questions and keep track of registration.
Communicate current registration number to other team members every couple of weeks.
Promotions LeadContinue promotional process
Work with partners to determine who wants a promotional table. Collect payments for promotional tables.
Work with logistics lead for setup of sufficient promotional tables outside the presentation room.
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Day Of: Registration and MaterialsTeam Lead
Introduce yourself, your organization and the trainer.
Be present for the presentation.
Be available to network with participants.
At the end of the day, congratulate yourself on an event well-done.
Make sure team members know how much you appreciate all their hard work behind the scenes.
Logistics LeadEnsure setup is as expected and there are enough chairs and tables for walk-ins.
Coordinate the smooth provision of all intended food and beverages.
At the end of the day, make sure participants fill out the last two pages of the workbook and hand them in.
At the end of the day, congratulate yourself on an event well-done!
RegistrarArrive 30-60 minutes early to set up the registration table including:
A list of all registrants and how much they have paid or owe
A registration sheet to obtain necessary information from last minute walk-ins
Pens Nametags and markers
Provide information at participant request
At the end of the day, congratulate yourself on an event well-done!
Promotions LeadSetup and run sales table of all Soul ShopTM materials.
Work with partners to make sure all promotional tables are adequate.
Continue to network with partners and participating individuals for the sake of longer-term partnerships in suicide prevention.
At the end of the day, congratulate yourself on an event well-done!
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Post-Event: Closing out Finances, Doing Follow-UpTeam Lead
Determine application of Soul Shop™ training to your organization.
Continue to work with the Soul Shop™ office and your trainer in this process.
Compare final income and expenditure from event to see how it came out.
Distribute monetary loss or gain to partners as previously agreed.
Work with team to ensure follow-up steps.
Receive Soul Shop™ invoice and ensure payment.
Logistics LeadReturn evaluations, Next Step forms & unused materials (workbooks & sales items) to the Soul Shop™ office at:
Soul Shop™, LLCAttn: Kim Clair-Digman
124 Murdock StreetCanonsburg, PA 15317
Email number of materials used to the Soul Shop™ office for invoicing.
RegistrarSend registration list to Soul Shop™ Liaison to be added to the Soul Shop™ database.
Provide final participant count & income to team members.
Contact anyone who failed to pay for the event. Insure payment.
Receive & pay invoice for the remainder of costs.
Promotions LeadContinue to network with partners and participating individuals for the sake of longer-term partnerships in suicide prevention.
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PartnershipsIf you bring partners into the preparation process early it will make the event a lot easier for you as the organizer. Think about people and organizations who might fit one of these partnering roles:
Team: people or organizations who become part of the executive planning team for the event
Sponsors: people or organizations who contribute financially to Soul ShopTM events but are not otherwise involved.
Community Allies: organizations who wish to participate in spreading the effects of Soul ShopTM. These groups come to CAST (if there is one) and pay $100.00 toward the Soul ShopTM for Leaders. In return they receive the right to put up a promotional table on the day of Soul ShopTM for Leaders about their services and get one free registration.
Champions: people who are passionate about suicide prevention and are interested in drawing other people to Soul ShopTM events on a one-to-one basis.
Endorsers: public figures in your geographic region who are interested in suicide prevention and willing to write 2-3 sentences for you to use in publications promoting the event.
Many organizations thank their sponsors by making their names public at Soul ShopTM events either through a list included in the event material or on a large poster visible to all participants.
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Finances for Soul ShopTM
Soul Shop™ has designed these two trainings to be approximately revenue neutral. Our hope is that your Soul ShopTM events will pay for themselves. Your liaison will send you budget calculator that will give you a sense of the costs of Soul ShopTM and how many registrants at what price point would be required to meet them.
That said, organizers generally find that Soul Shop™ represents a good donor opportunity for charitable contributions. Other ways to off-set costs are through paid promotional tables. For questions or more details, contact the Soul ShopTM office.
Revenue and expenses can vary widely from one community to another with the result that an organization may have a financial surplus or deficit from Soul Shop™ trainings. Since it is impossible to know ahead of time how many people will register, it is wise for the organizer to be willing to take a loss or gain of up to $500.00.
Putting on a financially successful Soul ShopTM for Leaders depends heavily on either: Being well networked within the faith community of your geographic area, so that
when you send out an event invitation it reaches a large number of church leaders. Being able to put considerable time and effort into promoting the event through one-on-
one conversations. IF a Soul Shop™ training is cancelled within two months of the training, the contracting organization will be responsible for reimbursing airfare for the presenter.
You will be invoiced after each event and payment will be made within 14 days of the invoice date.
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Materials for Sale
Part of the mission of Soul ShopTM requires the sale of a variety of materials to assist participants in their on-going work in this movement. Making materials for sale available to participants is a required part of the Soul ShopTM contract. Materials for sale will include:
BooksA Second DayFe Anam Avis’ journey of how he reached through the night of suicidal desperation to a Second Day.
Life, Death and Reinvention: The Gift of the Impossibly Messed-Up LifeA book by Michelle Snyder and Fe Avis for those whose life is in need of reinvention (or for those who work with such people). The book offers practical steps and tools to accompany those whose lives have become unmanageable into a new more zestful future.
ResourcesSoul ShopTM for Congregations (at Soul ShopTM for Leaders)A two-hour curriculum about creating Soul Safe congregations that can be useful in the context of education, large group or small group trainings. All Soul Shop™ graduates are qualified to purchase and use this curriculum.
Soul ShopTM for Youth (at Soul ShopTM for Youth Workers)A curriculum for equipping youth to deal with the variety of impacts of suicidal desperation. Soul ShopTM for Youth can be used in a variety of contexts ranging from weekly discussions to weekend retreats. All Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers graduates are qualified to purchase and use this curriculum.
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Promotional Strategy
The successful promotion of Soul Shop™ rests on three key understandings.Understanding #1 Soul Shop™ is a training for individual leaders. Soul Shop™ for
Leaders is designed for every leader who shapes the ministry of a church, both clergy and lay persons. Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers is designed for every person who works with youth 11 to 18 years of age in a ministry/vocational context. Soul Shop™ is not a class to which churches can simply send a representative. This means that a typical church of 100 members would likely be sending three or four persons to a Soul Shop™ training. A church of 1,000 members would likely be sending 30 to 40 persons.Organizers who fail to promote Soul Shop™ with this understanding will end up with a handful of interested persons representing a few churches in the community.
Understanding #2 Soul Shop™ is focused on persons impacted by suicidal desperation. This includes (a) those who are considering suicide, even if they never act on that thinking, (b) those who are concerned about a loved one who may be considering suicide, (c) those who have lost someone they know to suicide, and (d) those who have been suicidal in the past, but may have never told anyone because of shame. Altogether, these categories include about 50% of a typical congregation.Soul Shop™ is not simply a suicide prevention program. Of course we want to prevent suicide, but we are concerned about all these other impacts that leave people feeling isolated and desperate.Organizers who fail to promote Soul Shop™ with this understanding will struggle to reach church leaders who see suicide as a tragic, but rare event affecting their church. Again, they will end up with a handful of persons from churches that have recently had someone die from suicide.
Understanding #3 Soul Shop™ is a movement.Addressing suicidal desperation involves changing organizational culture. Organizational culture includes unspoken rules that govern the behavior of members. Part of what gives suicidal depression such destructive power is the unspoken rule in faith communities
that it is not something to be
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discussed in any personal way.Organizational cultures are not changed simply by disseminating information, e.g. lectures, classes, articles, pamphlets, etc. They are changed by opportunities to practice different behaviors. For example, if folks in a faith community will begin by using the word “suicide” in a sentence, they have taken a small step in the direction of shifting the culture, reducing stigma, and potentially saving a life.When people decide whether or not to engage in a particular behavior change, they come on board at different rates.
Pioneers initiate change. They are internally driven and do not need to see other persons come on board before they decide to make a change. Persons who promote conversations about suicide in faith communities on their own initiative are pioneers.
Early adopters are the first to follow the lead of pioneers. They also are internally driven, but they need to experience the vision and energy of pioneers before they are ready to make changes in their own behavior and promote those changes in others.
The early majority are the next to come on board. They are willing to make changes in their own behavior and promote those changes in others, but they need to experience the leadership of pioneers and early adopters first. They also need to see some early results.
Next are the late majority. They need to see the participation of pioneers, early adopters, and the early majority before they will make changes. They are less willing to take risk and need to see evidence of success.
This means that a critical mass of persons from supporting churches must act as early adopters who then reach out to those in similar roles serving in other churches: pastors reach out to pastors, youth workers to other youth workers, music directors to other music directors, etc.Organizers who fail to promote Soul Shop™ with this understanding will end up sending out hundreds of email blasts and brochures with disappointing results.
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Based on these understandings, we recommend two approaches to promotion: one-on-one networking and wide-spread use of social media. These two approaches are complimentary and generally do not work in isolation from each other. We hope you will bring up Soul ShopTM in individual conversations with faith community leaders since research shows that this is more effective than any other promotional strategy.
The most effective ways of securing a time investment from a leader is to follow the ladder of communication. The closer the communication method is to the top of the ladder, the more likely a positive response (assuming one or more of the criteria on the following page are met):
FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION
SMALL-GROUP DISCUSSION
E-MAIL/WEBSITES*
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
HANDWRITTEN LETTER
TYPEWRITTEN PERSONAL LETTER
VIDEOTAPE
MASS-PRODUCED LETTER
NEWSLETTER
BROCHURE
E-MAIL/WEBSITES*
NEWS ITEM
ADVERTISEMENT
By reflex, most organizations choose approaches lower on the ladder such as email blasts, advertisements, newsletters, etc. While these are of value for general promotion, they will generally result in low levels of participation if approaches further up the ladder are not employed.
Here are further helpful tools in thinking about how to approach those conversations.
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Nonetheless, one-on-one conversations are unlikely to reach the majority of your community since they are time and energy intensive. As a result, we recommend that you also make use of a variety of tools that reach larger audiences, such as social media, press releases, websites and e-blasts (see promotional materials below). Research shows that the more times a person sees a promotion and the more modes they see it in, the more effective your marketing will be.
Strategy SuggestionsHere are types of promotional initiatives used by other successful Soul ShopTM teams. Soul ShopTM has some relationships with some of these national organizations and may be able to assist you in making connections. Contact the Soul ShopTM office to learn more.
Ideas for Promotion: The Soul Shop™ web site with registration forms and info Newsletters and promotions by community allies (see page 12) Personal letters, phone
calls and emails to clergy and schools Ads in local Christian magazines and newspapers (sometimes, they even do free
promotion of community events) Radio interviews on Christian Radio Television interviews on Christian Television E-blasts to mental health providers in area Publicize to local Mental Health Task Forces, AFSP chapters, and NAMI and offer to
promote their upcoming event in exchange for promoting Soul ShopTM
Invite mayor or other endorsers to speak at the event during lunch Promote through Social Work Board/Association by posting on their web site Promote at suicide related events in your community like Survivor’s Day events or Out of
the Darkness walks (both hosted through the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention)Outreach to:
Various denominational conferences, foundations or judicatories Hospitals, medical foundation, home elder care, funeral home Church outreach committees Prominent churches: (these might also be good event sponsors) Chaplains at military bases, hospitals, universities, hospices, etc. Local Christian colleges Local clergy associations
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Promotional MaterialsThe following promotional materials on our website at http://www.soulshopmovement.org/hosting/helpful-downloads/
Soul ShopTM logo Soul Shop TM endorsements A blog post/newsletter article by Fe Anam Avis Example radio promotion Second Day books, mugs, one-hour curriculum and DVDs for sale
A professional promotional video
Soul Shop Modifiable flyers
Soul Shop Modifiable Save the Date cards
If there are other promotional materials you would find helpful that are not on this list, contact the Soul Shop™ office.
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Soul ShopTM Participants Endorsements“Awesome! Outstanding! Passionate!”
“I will train other…leaders to use CALL and be prayerful concerning suicide.” “Excellent preparation, moderation, and delivery. Engaging.”
“[I learned] easy to understand way of helping people and practical ways to be a church that helps.”
“Excellent. Far surpassed my expectations.”
“Great day. Thank you! Best single day seminar I’ve been to!” “Wonderful, deep, practical teaching.”
“Helped me connect suicide to teachings and grace offered in scripture.”
“[I learned] strategic ways to minister and to intervene in a crisis of possible suicide.”
“Made me more aware of being on watch and available to those who are hurting.”
“Best suicide prevention training I have attended in 20 years of military service.”
“Everything was wonderful. Would love to experience this again.”
“I feel more comfortable about talking with people about suicide.”
“Wonderful mix of practical application, personal experience, and theological perspective.”
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Promotional Tables at the EventSoul ShopTM has a goal of creating a network of suicide prevention resources in a geographic area. One way to do this is to have tables where various community organizations can present who they are and how they serve the suicidally desperate. Either these tables can be free (especially to partners and sponsors) or you can charge up to $100.00 per table to help financially subsidize the event (see partnership types). Many organizations will be willing to pay a fee for the opportunity to promote their services.
Possible participants include the fire department, police department, counseling centers, hotlines, hospitals, schools, support groups, NAMI, domestic abuse organizations, and other non-profits and leaders in your community. If you will be doing follow-up events to the one-day Soul ShopTM such as ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) you might want to have a promotional table to lay out information about these events as well.
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LogisticsLogistics refers to everything necessary to the smooth running of an event that does not fall under one of the other categories (registration, promotion). Included in logistics is:
Budget: Keeping track of all costs and finalizing the profit/loss analysis after the event.
Location: Finding a venue, negotiating the cost of using the location and fine-tuning set-up details.
Caring for the Trainer: Determining accommodations, food and hospitality. Spear-heading all communication with the trainer. After the event, getting receipts for all trainer costs to be reimbursed to Soul ShopTM
Ordering Materials: Letting Soul ShopTM know two weeks ahead how many people you expect to have at your training so we can put necessary workbooks and materials for sale in the mail.
Food: Deciding if you will provide breakfast at your event and coffee throughout the day? Deciding what you will provide for lunch? All the setup not provided by the host organization falls to the logistics person. See details here.
Registration Table and Day-Of Details: Either the logistics or registration person should be on hand at the event to run the registration table, handle the sale of various items, serve lunch (a second person may also be required for this), and respond to other needs.
Anyone who pulls off an event with well-run logistics deserves a medal. It’s a lot of details and this person stays mostly in the background. It is important that other people on the team express their appreciation.
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Venue and Setup NeedsMany organizations will host Soul ShopTM events at their own location. Others will find another local organization that will host. It is frequently possible to find a venue for under $300.00 or completely for free. One approach is to find a formal partner who will provide space as their part in the partnership.
Venue requirements include: Space for large round tables of 8 people each for a total of 100 people Ability to meet audio-visual needs (see next page) Space outside the presentation room for a registration table, a sales table,
promotional tables for community allies, and coffee service. The presentation space does not need a raised platform, as Soul ShopTM trainers prefer
the more intimate feel that comes from being on the level of their audience. If there is a raised platform, ideally there would be space on the floor in front of the platform for the presenter, a small music stand or low table for notes, a flipchart with markers, and the power point screen.
Depending on what food is being catered or made, an easily-accessible kitchen and space to serve the meal might be needed.
Audio-Visual NeedsThe venue will need the following technology:
PowerPoint projector Projection screen A lapel mic for the presenter and two hand-held mics for use in exercises
throughout the day Flipchart and markers
The presenter should be on the same level as the audience (not on a stage) with a small music stand or low table instead of a podium. Ideally, they should have a way to see the slides without turning their back on the audience and have direct control of moving through the slides with a remote clicker.
Food and BeveragesWe strongly recommend providing lunch on site. The cost of lunch can be passed on to the participants as part of the registration fee. Places like Subway, Panera, Chipotle and Jimmy Johns often cater meals for between $6.50 and $11.00 a person (as of 2016). This does not usually include drinks.
We encourage the use of a coffee service throughout the day, as this provides a professional air to the event and is a much-appreciated courtesy to participants. Many churches and other venues can provide a coffee service for a low additional cost, or at least allow team-members to
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use coffee supplies on hand. If a coffee service is not available, coffee in a large quantity can be purchased from a place like Dunkin Donuts to provide hot coffee in the morning.
Some organizations also like to provide breakfast. A simple breakfast may include yogurt, granola and fruit with or without the addition of some kind of pastry.
RegistrationA single person should be responsible for registration. The registrar should be someone easily accessible by phone and email who understands the basic content and purpose of the workshop, is good with details and does not mind having their phone and email widely promoted. The registrar’s name, email and phone should be listed on all promotional material.
One highly functional way to keep track of registration information is for the registrar to create a google spreadsheet that looks something like this template and share it with all involved parties so everyone can know how registration is going at a given time. It is the responsibility of the registrar to keep the spreadsheet updated.
Note: the template is view only. To use it, create a new google spreadsheet and copy and paste the headings from the template into the new one. After that, you can make changes according to your needs.
Registration ProcessWe have found that providing a way for folks to register and pay their tuition online with a credit card substantially increases the number of registrations. If you do not have a website that allows this, you can easily use Eventbrite for this process. Eventbrite takes a 2% fee (plus an additional $0.79) from each ticket plus a 2.5% payment processing fee per transaction when you select the Essentials package. These fees can be passed on to the purchaser, increasing the cost of each ticket, or paid by the host organization.
EventBriteIf you do not have a website with capacity to register people for events, we recommend that you use Eventbrite. If you need assistance setting up an Eventbrite account and/or to create your event, please email [email protected] and she will assist you with the process.
Doing a second Soul ShopTM event? You can make a copy of this event and then modify the details! Just click “copy” on the Event Dashboard page. The copy button is just above where it says “Event Dashboard” to the right-hand side. Create a new name and you’re off!
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Appendix 1: Mission, Vision, History and Philosophy
MissionTo train leaders to equip congregations and communities to minister to persons impacted by suicidal desperation:
A. Persons who have experienced lossB. Persons concerned for family/friendsC. Persons engaged in suicidal thinkingD. Second Day people*
*People who have walked through the dark night of suicidal desperation and survived to see a Second Day.
VisionTo become the national leader in developing faith communities that companion the desperate into hope and connection, reaching 20,000 people by 2020.
History Fe Anam Avis created Soul Shop™ as a result of personal experience with suicide. He pastored a church where suicides occurred and later went through his own dark night of suicidal thinking. When Fe came to his second day, he sought training in suicide prevention from LivingWorks Education, a global leader in the area. He worked extensively with communities for over a decade to develop regional suicide prevention plans and offer suicide awareness skills training.
In 2012 Fe was asked to create a day-long training for faith community leaders with the goal of fostering transformation by equipping congregations to minister to those impacted by suicidal desperation. He presented the one-day training for the first time on May 22, 2012 in Cleveland, OH.
In 2015, Fe began to partner with the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute to consolidate his learnings into a replicable ministry he named Soul Shop™. In 2017, Soul ShopTM outgrew PPI’s focus on the Pittsburgh metro area and became an independent entity that is becoming a national movement. With strategic partners like AFSP and Living Works, Soul ShopTM is well on its way to reaching the vision of creating 20,000 soul safe faith communities by equipping members to companion the suicidally desperate by 2020.
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PhilosophyPhilosophically, Soul Shop™ is built on seven key ideas:
Key Idea #1 Suicidal desperation can begin for anyone given an accumulation of losses combined with a reduction in resources to deal with those losses.
Key Idea #2 At any particular moment, a significant percentage of persons within a faith community are being impacted by suicidal desperation either in their own thinking, in the life of someone they care about, in the traumatic memory of a suicide of a friend or family member, or in their own personal history of a suicide attempt or near-attempt from which they have emerged.
Key Idea #3 Faith communities have a responsibility not only for preventing suicide and suicide attempts, but also for addressing those impacted by the agony and isolation of suicidal desperation.
Key Idea #4 The persons who are best positioned to address suicidal desperation are those most likely to identify it in the first place, e.g. family members, friends, congregants, and office staff (rather than therapists, counselors, social workers who see folks upon referral.)
Key Idea #5 Faith communities offer important resources that can address the two primary reasons people become desperate, a loss of hope, and a loss of social connection.
Key Idea #6 The primary obstacles to dealing with suicidal desperation are emotional rather than informational and include stigma, fear, and shame. These must be addressed through practicing a different behavior in a supportive environment rather than through lectures or presentations.
Key Idea #7 As a faith community begins to adjust to the reality of suicidal desperation among its members, it must fundamentally alter the way members deal with one another.
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Appendix 2: Soul ShopTM Training OptionsSoul Shop™ for Leaders Soul Shop™ for Leaders is the event this Toolbox aims to help people create. Along with Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers it is the core of the Soul ShopTM movement. It provides clergy, other church leaders, and therapists working with faith communities the necessary training to change their church culture around suicide and to decrease suicidal desperation as a result.
Soul Shop™ for Youth WorkersThis one-day event provides training specific to suicidality in youth. It is recommended for youth leaders, church school teachers and others who work directly with youth ages 11 to 18 in their ministry/vocational context.
CAST: Community Awareness Skills Training CAST (Community Awareness Skills Training) a specific application of SuicideTALK by LivingWorks. It is a 1½ to 2 hour community-oriented program exploring how we think and talk about suicide. It addresses suicide as a major community health problem and steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of suicide.
Possible participants include firemen, police, counseling center employees, hospitals, schools, support groups, NAMI, domestic abuse organizations, and other leaders in your community. However, all are welcome to this meaningful interactive discussion of the problem of suicide with opportunities to practice interactions with persons at risk.
ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills TrainingASIST provides in-depth training for how to intervene in a moment where someone is suicidal. It is used across the country to train first responders and emergency hotline attendants. Frequently a suicidal person will turn first to someone they know. ASIST teaches how to respond in that moment and how to connect the person to further professional help. ASIST is the property of LivingWorks.
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Appendix 3: The Soul ShopTM Team
Fe Anam AvisFe founded Soul ShopTM and partnered with PPI to spread the movement. Fe’s ministry comes out of his background as a pastor who came through the dark night of suicidal thinking. Fe is certified in ASIST and has a Masters in Divinity. He authored the book A Second Day and co-authored with Michelle Snyder Life, Death, and Reinvention: The Gift of the Impossibly Messed-Up Life.
Brian KuhnBrian is the Director of Youth & Family Ministries at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO. He has been involved in youth ministry since 2000. Brian has a Master of Arts in Profession Counseling and is a Licensed Profession Counselor in the State of Missouri. Brian lives with his wife Jennifer and their two children, Chase and Paige, in St. Louis, MO.
Michelle Snyder Michelle is the director and lead presenter of Soul ShopTM. Michelle was key to expanding Soul ShopTM nationally. She has training in mental health (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and theology (Masters in Divinity). She is also an ASIST trainer. When not doing Soul ShopTM, Michelle teaches in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh, does private clergy coaching, and is a congregational consultant. Michelle lives with her husband and two daughters in Pittsburgh, PA.
Ed SutterEd is the Director of Middle School Ministry and Family Counseling at Westminster Presbyterian Church and has been in ministry in the Pittsburgh community for more than 10 years. Ed is a Nationally Certified Counselor, earning a Master’s Degree in Education for Counseling from Duquesne University in 2012, and provides counseling services to adolescents, families and adults on issues surrounding social development, including self-injury and suicide. He has developed several retreat series and counseling programs that promote the development of resilience, coping skills, bullying, and suicide. Ed lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and their two daughters. If he’s not with his family or students, you’ll likely find Ed and his dog in the woods!
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Appendix 4: Logistics for ASIST
You are reading this portion of the Tool Box because you have hosted a Soul Shop™ for Leaders or Soul ShopTM for Youth Workers and now plan to host an ASIST. The processes for each event are very similar with a few modifications. The ASIST curriculum belongs to LivingWorks. All Soul ShopTM trainers who provide ASIST have been trained by LivingWorks.
Event Objectives
1. Provide an opportunity for participants to learn how their feelings, experiences, and beliefs might affect them in suicide first-aid.
2. Increase participant’s confidence in their ability to connect with others about suicide, understand their story about suicide, and connect them to life.
3. Help participants feel more willing, ready, and able to assist a person at risk.4. Cause participants to appreciate the value of improving their community’s resources for
persons at risk.
Participant NumbersTo have an ASIST, you must have at least 14 participants and not more than 30. There will be two trainers, as the group will frequently be divided into two parts. It is important that each group have between 7 and 15 people. If you are going to have more than 30 participants, contact Soul ShopTM about bringing in a third trainer. Maximum registration with 3 trainers is 45 people.
CostSince ASIST requires a high trainer to participant ratio, the cost is significant. Soul ShopTM estimates that ASIST normally costs approximately $200/participant with a full class. We would encourage you to develop partnerships that will share in the cost of ASIST by subsidizing the program.
Continuing EducationSocial workers, licensed counselors, and marriage and family therapists can receive 15 continuing education credits for ASIST by Soul ShopTM through LivingWorks.
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Setup and HostingSetup for ASIST varies from Soul ShopTM in the following ways:
1. You need a breakout room where half the group can go repeatedly for exercises. This room should have enough chairs for half the group arranged in a semi-circle around a power point projector and screen. You should also have tables pushed against the walls of the room so they can be pulled out and used for certain activities. It is important to have a power point projector that is connected to audio so that videos can be played. A second flip chart with markers is helpful if possible.
2. In the main room, the audience should be set up at tables for easy note-taking. You will need three extra tables: one for registration (near the back of the room or just outside of it), one for facilitator materials (near the front), and one for food (off to one side). You will also need:
a. Space where the facilitators can stick posters to the walls. This can be in any part of the room.
b. Power point projector, screen and audio for use in showing videosc. Two mikes, one for each of the two presenters, preferably lapel mikes.d. Flip chart
3. Please also have on hand these other materials: name tags, markers for the name tags, markers for the flip chart, dry erase markers for the posters, and tape for sticking posters up on walls.
FoodLike Soul ShopTM, providing lunch is nearly essential so people are not wandering into the second half of the day late. Following a strict schedule is even more important with ASIST than with Soul ShopTM.
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Appendix 5: Logistics for Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers
The setup for Soul Shop™ for Youth Workers is identical to Soul ShopTM for Leaders in every way except that promotion should be focused toward anyone who works with young people in their ministry context.If you have any questions, contact your Soul ShopTM liaison for further information.
