TAMPA, Fla. — The Suicide Prevention Training Institute reports there is one suicide attempt every 26 seconds.

The organization's goal is to reduce the number of people who die by suicide in the community by training people in intervention.

Pastor B. James Howells recently completed the LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST workshop.  

"I’ve actually dealt with six actual suicides over the years and dealt with a lot of the aftermath within the families,” said Howells.

Howells, who started preaching in 2006, hopes to help prevent more people from feeling that pain.

"The preaching that I do is to bring Jesus Christ and the message of hope to people who are at these stages in their lives where they need that hope to fill those holes and to make it through the challenges that we all face everyday," he said.

To help face those challenges, Howells and his wife founded Watchfire Church of Tampa. From Sunday service to Bible study and community outreach programs, the preacher, who is already certified in multiple mental health disciplines, is now learning more about suicide intervention, through the 2-day ASIST workshop.

Pastor Howells attended his session at St. Marks United Methodist Church. The face-to-face training teaches participants identify risk factors and prepares themprovide what it calls suicide first-aid for intervention.

ASIST trainer Chaplain Scott Ehler, a retired Army Chaplain, has led more than 60 workshops.

"Trying to teach individuals how to have a conversation with someone who is having thoughts of suicide,” he said. "What we’re trying to do in that moment is what do we need to do to keep them safe in this moment, so that they can go get the help that they need.”  

Ehler says connection is key.

"Recognizing they’re having thoughts of suicide and what to do beyond that," said Ehler.

Ehler, who was deployed to six times while in the military, now teaches skilled intervention training, hoping to help keep people safe.

"I just have such a passion and desire to be able to send people out with the confidence to go help other people that are having crisis in their life,” he said.

Pastor Howells says he's ready to help.

"Understanding it from these multiple perspectives, that level of compassion and really having some of these conversational tools because many times we don’t treat it like a conversation," said Howells.

A conversation that could save a life.

The workshop is open to everyone — communities like veterans, first responders, teachers, aging adults and their families are encouraged to participate.

The organization relies on contributions from the community. The most recent training was sponsored by Winn Dixie and Pizza Hut.

If you or someone you love are in crisis, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.