 Welcome everyone to the 2020 Integrated Annual Sapper and Suicide Prevention Workshop for Team Maxwell and Guns for Annex. This presentation is part one of this year's two-part training. I'm Technical Sergeant Susie Williams and I'll be your finalist prevention instructor for today. Let's get started! This workshop fulfills your 2020 Annual Sapper and Suicide Prevention training requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic has required the Department of the Air Force, or DAF, to adapt quickly and smartly under this time of uncertainty. The DAF is asking individual bases to deliver by law annual training on sexual assault and suicide prevention through appropriate and thoughtful consideration to ensure physical distancing and the safety of our personnel. At Maxwell Air Force Base in Gunner Annex, we have incorporated a multi-faceted approach to violence prevention to include the use of locally developed training videos and taking additional measures throughout the year to further strengthen prevention efforts. The combination of our efforts ensures annual Sapper and Suicide Prevention training meets the needs of our community and by-law requirements. We are hopeful that integrity will prevail and participants will watch the videos in their entirety. Upon completion of these workshops, participants are to contact their Unit Training Manager, or UTM, to ensure ADLS is updated to reflect both 2020 Annual Sapper and Suicide Prevention trainings as complete. If you have any ADLS questions, participants should contact our UTM for assistance. If you have any questions regarding the content of this workshop, you can contact our local VPI lead, Mrs. Cynthia Cuperno. If you have questions regarding Sapper topics or Sapper talking points, you should contact our local SARC, Mrs. Lanisha Howard, for further assistance. Before we begin, let's meet your training team. My name is Technical Sergeant Susie Williams. I'm an Education and Training Manager at the Barnes Center for Unlisted Education. I'm also a Master Resilience Trainer and Certified Violence Prevention Educator. Being a part of the Violence Prevention Educational Team is important to me because I strongly believe that every single person on our team matters and is deserving of an environment that fosters safety and mutual respect. In the second part of our training, you'll get to meet another team member, Master Sergeant Justin Tite. The Air Force recognizes that there may be individuals who are or know of someone who is a survivor of violence or struggling with a distressing situation. We want you to know that there are resources to support both military, their families, and civilians free of charge that are confidential and private. These services are available on a 24-7, 365 basis. If you would like to talk to someone about an experience you are concerned with, we will provide these options to you at the beginning and conclusion of this workshop. Today we will review prior violence prevention workshop material covering topics related to sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence, and suicide. In addition to reviewing prior material, we have expanded upon key concepts to ensure we meet the needs of our community and to comply with new training standards. Strategies to combat incidents of violence are complex and requires each of us to do our part to support prevention efforts. Data plays a valuable role in our strategy to combat violence. I think we can all agree that one incident of sexual assault, one incident of domestic abuse or one suicide is simply one too many. While today's focus is on exploring violence prevention as it relates to sexual assault, domestic, violence and suicide, the concepts we discussed today can be applied across different types of violence and violence prevention efforts. Today's workshop will cover the following items. Like factors and risk reduction, identifying situations or environments that may increase the risk of being a perpetrator or victim and how to reduce those risks, recognizing warning signs that someone may be at risk for harm or being harmed, identifying and overcoming barriers that prevent us from stepping in to help someone or seeking help for ourselves, identifying the 3 D's and their role in helping you do something to diffuse a potentially harmful situation, identifying proactive behaviors to establish a climate that promotes respect and makes incidents of violence less likely to occur. We'll discuss the paradigm shift, shifting from a reactive to a proactive mindset. Then we'll discuss inspiring hope and learning how our actions individually and collectively make a difference. In the second half of this workshop, we will thoroughly review suicide prevention topics as required by the 2020 total 4 suicide prevention training requirements. We will review the learning objectives for suicide prevention training following this portion of the workshop. The goals we hope to continue to see are a permanent reduction of interpersonal and self-directed violence, and a cultural norm that reflects an intolerance to personal violence, everyone doing their part to maintain a community or workplace free from sexual assault and domestic and intimate partner violence, and everyone feeling valued and that they belong. We can accomplish this by incorporating strategies at every level of our community and organization. Our goals to combat interpersonal and self-directed violence may seem unrealistic to some people. Maybe you think the problem is too big, or you're only one person, so what possibly can you do to make a difference? The individual choices you make, no matter how small they may seem, can have a big impact. As we go through this workshop, I want you to think about how your small choices, such as the connections you have with others already, make a difference. First, let's take a look at some of the many resources we have to support our population. Each of you should have also received an electronic copy that expands upon the side providing a description of each resource so you are better equipped to refer someone to the right agency. However, know that you can never go wrong in reaching out for help because our local subject matter experts work closely together and will ensure you get to the right place. Due to COVID-19 and physical distancing, the Military Family Life Counseling, or MFLAG program, is currently being provided in a telehealth format. If you are seeking mental health support, uniform personnel and their families can use the free and confidential Military One Source Counseling Program, Military and Veterans Crisis Line, your local mental health program, chaplains, or other crisis hotlines for support. Of course, if there is an emergency, call Security Forces Squadron or 911. Civilians are encouraged to use the Employee Assistance Program, which is your Military One Source type program, a free and confidential service provided by your employer. Preventing sexual assault is mission imperative for the Department of the Air Force, and early efforts to prevent sexual assault mainly focus on the potential perpetrator or the potential victim. However, current violence prevention efforts focus on a third role that has tremendous power in preventing harm. That's you, the wingman. Wingmen are defined as those who witness a high-risk situation and are in a position to intervene. Wingmen can define the norms of their unit or base and decide what will and will not be acceptable. Wingmen have two essential roles to play in addressing sexual violence. Wingmen should react when you see warning signs of sexual assault to make it less likely someone gets hurt. And wingmen should clearly communicate that sexual assault is not acceptable and that you expect all air and space professionals to look out for each other. The Air Force expects you to be a role model by having these tough conversations and expressing support in meetings, trainings, or among your peers. Just as important as wingmen are leaders. Those who can effectively lead self by recognizing when you need help. If you break a bone, you go to the doctors to get it fixed, and then you'll go to physical therapy to continue the healing process, right? Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. If you're feeling stressed out at work and it's affecting your wellness, those who lead self will talk to someone or get help before it becomes a crisis. We also need wingmen who can lead others. To be a leader that is able to recognize warning signs and willing to have these tough conversations, making sure their team gets the help they need. Both wingmen and leaders work hand in hand and both are essential to violence prevention efforts. When we think about risk factors, we think about environments or situations that may or may not lead us to be perpetrators of violence or victims. In some cases, persons with certain risk factors are more likely to become perpetrators, victims, or bullies. However, just because you were bullied as a child doesn't guarantee you will bully others or continue to be bullied your entire life. The same applies to maltreatment, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other forms of violence. Although data supports that depending on a multitude of factors, risk of being a perpetrator or victim may be greater for some than others. Risk factors can also overlap with violence-related warning signs. For example, acting out of character, misusing alcohol, or demonstrating risk-taking behaviors. In these cases, it is the change in behavior from how the person normally acts that is a warning of potential issue. There are quite a few risk factors that not only overlap but can interchangeably be associated with sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner abuse, and other forms of violence. Here we see examples of increased risk factors. But as I mentioned, if you have elevated risk factors, you can take steps to reduce the risk of being a perpetrator and a victim. This is referred to as risk reduction. Risk reduction simply means taking steps to enhance your safety and the safety of others. Risk reduction strategies are targeted towards both potential victims and potential perpetrators. Once we know how to apply risk reduction strategies for in-the-moment situations, it may help us in preventing an attack or assault from occurring. Let's discuss examples of risk reduction for potential perpetrators and victims. First, let's start with reduction strategies for potential perpetrators. If you're going out to a party or a bar for a few drinks, you should limit the amount of alcohol you consume to ensure you stay in control and don't fall for the cliche if they say no, they really mean yes. If you know what triggers your temper or if you have an anger issue, you should seek out counseling support or learn to avoid triggers and learn anger management skills. If you have obsessive and reoccurring thoughts about sex or pornography, you may want to seek help before it affects relationships, your job, or causes legal problems. Now let's cover risk reduction strategies for potential victims. If you're going out with friends to a bar or a party, you should drink responsibly. Know your limit. Watch your drink carefully and communicate with your partner that no means no and yes means yes. If you are walking to your car at night, you may reduce risk of assault by parking in a well-lit area, have your keys in your hand, and let someone know when you're leaving. Educate yourself and your children about healthy relationships, breaking up safety, what is healthy and what isn't. Know the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship and how to set boundaries. Can you think of other examples of risk reduction as it relates to violence prevention? How do we know if someone is a perpetrator or a victim of sexual assault or domestic or intimate partner violence? Often things people say, behaviors they demonstrate, or physical injuries they have give us clues into concerns. For example, you may see someone who has bruises on their wrists or scratches on their face. If we ask what happened, we may find their story doesn't add up or it doesn't make sense. Maybe it isn't the first time you've seen bruises or scratches on this person. Possibly they seem defensive when you ask what happened to them. Maybe you have a conversation about this workshop and its contents and their response to the conversation or lack of sparks question or concern for their well-being. To recognize warning signs for sexual assault is the first step in intervening for both a potential perpetrator and victim. By recognizing warning signs of sexual assault and domestic violence early on, you may be able to help a friend, co-worker, or family member escape the cycle of abuse or escape a situation that puts them at risk. In providing intervention, you may also prevent a perpetrator from victimizing someone. As bystanders and wingmen, recognizing warning signs isn't always easy. Sometimes warning signs can't be seen. For example, bruises can be hidden under clothing. We can't always see fear, low self-esteem, low self-worth, or how their partner is treating them at home. In other cases, wingmen might know the potential perpetrator, victim, or maybe even both. What you notice may change depending on your relationship with the people involved. For example, personal biases can affect how you view a situation. It is important to be mindful that all genders are at risk for sexual assault. Women are not always a victim, and men are not always a perpetrator. In either case, when we see a behavior that causes concern or crosses the line, we should take action. In the next few slides, we're going to review some warning signs regarding sexual assault and domestic and intimate partner violence more thoroughly. As we go through the slides, I want you to think about other warning signs not listed and what your role and responsibility is in the Air Force. How could you make a difference to stop someone from getting hurt by recognizing the warning signs? Consider what would happen if one of these situations crosses your path. How would you handle a situation? What agency or person could you go to for help? As we discussed earlier, some of the warning signs for sexual assault are more visible than others. In reality, we don't always know if someone has been sexually assaulted. But when we notice certain clues or when we see certain warnings, we might be able to sense that a sexual assault has occurred. Let's look at some of the many warning signs we might see. In addition to the warning signs listed, can you think of any other warning signs related to sexual assault? Who would you contact if you or someone you know was sexually assaulted? SARK, Sapper Victim Advocate, Special Victims Counsel, Employee Assistance Program, Security Forces Squadron, Safe Helpline, Chaplain, or a Supervisor are all correct answers. You'll want to be mindful of restricted and unrestricted reporting options when deciding who to contact. Sexual harassment is not the same as sexual assault. Sexual harassment involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. In the Air Force, we are not exempt from hearing about or being a victim of sexual harassment. Did you know sexual harassment may be a civil or criminal crime under the UCMJ? If you or someone you know may be experiencing sexual harassment, who would you turn to for help? If you answered the Equal Opportunity Office or your local command, you'd be right. No relationship is perfect, but it is important to know the warning signs of unhealthy behaviors in a relationship before behaviors escalate and before ending their relationship becomes more complicated. When we refer to domestic or intimate partner violence, we are referring to married couples, former spouses, and dating or former dating partners. Incidents of domestic and intimate partner violence can range anywhere from one incident to repeated or chronic patterns of abuse over years. We have provided a generalized list of warning signs that one might see when someone has or is being assaulted. Can you think of any other examples not listed? If you or someone you know is being assaulted by a former or current partner, you can seek help in the following ways. Contacting the family advocacy program representative, calling Security Forces Squadron or 911, going to the mental health office, talking to a chaplain, or contacting one of a number of hotlines. There is help for both victims and the perpetrator on a local and national level. Sometimes we want to step in and help someone who has been sexually assaulted or who may be assaulted by their partner, but barriers keep us from stepping in to help. These same barriers may even keep us from seeking help for ourselves. Barriers are something we all experience at one time or another. In this section, we are going to define barriers as they relate to violence prevention, and then we will explore ways to work around them. For our purposes, we recognize the three primary types of barriers as personal, social, and organizational. Personal barriers, things such as fear of embarrassment or retaliation, fear of escalation of the situation, or you getting hurt or being uncertain of what to do. Personal barriers are unique to us. For example, you may be bigger or stronger than me and less hesitant to step in and stop an argument while I might be smaller and not as confident of my fighting abilities. Social barriers. You're concerned with how airmen in your unit, friends, or other people will react if you get involved. This is similar to fears associated with peer pressure or the in-group versus the out-group. Do you want to risk being known as a squeaky wheel? Sadly, cultural norms in some of our units or departments don't support people stepping in to get help for others. If you do, you're looked down upon or picked on. Organizational barriers. In this case, you may be concerned about getting involved because it could have a negative impact on your career, rank, or someone else's career. Rank can make a difference if you do or do not intervene or offer to help. What is important is that we take action when we see a behavior that concerns us. The question is, when we take action, how do we work around barriers? When we see a situation that crosses our path and concerns us, barriers may prevent us from stepping in. However, we can put into action the 3Ds which are realistic tools or options to respond to the situation and help us work around those barriers. The 3Ds are a reactive action to an event. Direct. When we take a direct approach to address a situation, you approach any of the people involved directly. It could be the one doing the harm or the one being harmed. For example, if you see someone at a bar pushing drinks on someone who was clearly intoxicated, you can approach either of them and express your concerns. Delegate. Get someone else involved. Have them intervene such as a supervisor, chaplain, family member, friend, bartender, security guard, police, or even a group of strangers. In delegating, you can potentially keep your involvement anonymous since you're not directly involved in the situation. Distract. When you use a distract approach, you create a distraction that will diffuse or interrupt the situation. It may allow for a potential victim to get to safety or escape the situation. You could ask someone to drive you home, ask to borrow a phone, start a conversation, or even ask for directions. More than likely, all of us at one time or another have used the 3Ds. Possibly stepping in during a heated conversation, letting a friend know they've probably had enough to drink or offering to give them a ride home. Thinking back, are you able to recall the situation where you applied the 3Ds and didn't even realize it? Applying the 3Ds are reactive steps to violence prevention and is a behavior we want to promote in the Air Force. But how can we stop violence from occurring in the first place? The Air Force is shifting from the traditional response strategy for reducing incidents of violence to a proactive or prevention strategy. This strategy puts focus on prevention activities that take place before violence has occurred. The goal is to create social change and shift cultural norms from response to prevention for all forms of violence. Our focus as leaders at all levels should be to shift the thinking of the community and create environments that promote respect, quality, civility, healthy relationships and healthy sexuality, and ultimately an environment where our community members are safe. A paradigm shift of our thoughts and actions must happen. Instead of something has already occurred before we got involved, we need to ask ourselves what steps can we all take to prevent something from occurring in the first place? The examples we explored for risk reduction also apply to the paradigm shift from response to prevention. But what else can we do to safeguard our team? Ways to be proactive and prevent a crisis from occurring include arranging for a ride home if you're going out for a drink, taking steps to be in a healthy frame of mind before you go home, talking to a friend, chaplain, mflac or mental health when you're going through a difficult time. In seeking out help early to prevent a crisis from occurring, you are being proactive. What is the difference between the paradigm shift and proactive behaviors or proactives? Paradigm shift is the process and proactive behaviors taken to reduce incidents of violence or to stop violence before it occurs. Proactives give other people visual clues to let them know what is important to us and where we stand on topics like sexual assault and domestic and intimate partner violence. Think about how you know what sports teams someone likes without even asking them. You know by the jersey they may wear, how their office space is decorated, or maybe you see their excitement when their team wins a game or by what they post on social media. At area university and other areas of our installation, many personnel have a simple green dot token or sticker outside their office door. This symbol is a simple yet powerful tool to let other people know where they stand on violence prevention. It isn't just a green dot. It represents their support for topics we cover in this workshop and possibly other forms of violence. One of the most important tasks necessary to succeed in prevention is to give people hope, to believe things can change and that their individual choices do matter, to foster hope isn't just one person doing one really big thing. It's a bunch of people doing a lot of little things every day. Hope is all around you. You just have to be willing to see it. Saying good morning, smiles, connections you have with others at work or helping a neighbor during the COVID-19 epidemic are always you can have an impact. Research conducted by the founder of positive psychology Dr. Marlon Seligman suggested that when individuals believe they have no control over their environment, they will quit making any effort to change or improve it. They lose hope and motivation. Imagine if we all thought current rates of interpersonal and self-directed violence are inevitable. There would probably be little motivation on behalf of individuals to change it. Thankfully, that isn't the case and you are able to be an agent of change. Alabama is full of rich historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington and many others who believed things could change and that their individual choices mattered. The Wright brothers and the Tuskegee Airmen were no exception. They knew change was possible and they wouldn't quit their efforts despite multiple obstacles that challenged them. Their perseverance led to the Wright brothers developing the first successful airplane and the Tuskegee Airmen as the first African-American flying unit in the U.S. military overcoming segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II. These historical figures revived hope and optimism far beyond the Alabama border. At T. Maxwell and Gunner, we have heroes that make a difference in our community every day. Caring people are all around. Victim advocates, violence prevention instructors, master resiliency trainers and people like you. Bias standards are willing to step up without hesitation to help someone having a hard time. They ensure at every level of our installation, we continue to foster a safe environment and maintain cultural norms of dignity, respect and trust. We hope you enjoy the first half of today's workshop and will consider how you communicate to the people in your unit and across team Maxwell and Gunter that violence prevention efforts are important to you. Again, norms are cemented by the small decisions we make on a day-to-day basis. What is something you can say or do today that will promote a healthy climate of respect?