Six members of Idaho Post 143 are now able to provide Columbia Protocol Be the One training to fellow members, following a recent pilot program. The announcement was made on May 1 by Daniel Sweet, who serves as Be the One chairman at Steven H. Nipp Post 143 in Post Falls.
The effort is part of an ongoing initiative aimed at addressing suicide prevention within The American Legion community. Sweet said he has personally experienced loss due to suicide and believes that grassroots training can make a difference among veterans and their families.
On April 13, Sweet organized three Be the One training sessions for about 80 attendees, including American Legion Family members, local first responders, and others from the community. The next day, Sweet and five other post members participated in a Columbia Train the Trainer session alongside a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention coordinator. All seven participants are now certified to conduct Be the One training themselves.
The sessions were led by Brad Lanta and Adam Walsh from Columbia Lighthouse Project. “The training was outstanding,” Sweet said. He added that flexibility is key: “You have to do (the training) on their schedule… We believe we’re going to be able to get, in a smaller setting, more people trained.” According to Sweet, having Legionnaires train fellow Legionnaires creates greater comfort discussing sensitive topics like suicide: “There’s a lot of preconceived things about suicide from the senior generation,” he said.
Sweet explained that small group settings help foster open conversations: “It’s about being open in conversations. Small groups. Easier to share… We’ll make them feel comfortable.” He hopes this approach will encourage more participation among American Legion Family members.
Looking ahead, Sweet said his goal is ambitious but achievable: “The goal is to have every person in The American Legion trained in the Columbia Protocol… As certified, qualified trainers, we’ll be able to do that.” Reflecting on his own experiences with loss and service as a Marine Corps veteran, he emphasized why this mission matters: “If I can save one life, I think that would be fantastic… Take 90 minutes of training and you’ll be able to recognize when a person’s in a crisis.”