... And whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the lives of all mankind." - Quran 5:32

Why Suicide Response Training?

In a recent JAMA Psychiatry study, approximately 8% of the sample of American Muslims reported a lifetime suicide attempt compared to ~1% of the general American population.

This disturbing finding has been eye-opening for Muslims across the world and has motivated many Muslim leaders and institutions to address the topic of suicide in Muslim communities.

Let's Save Lives

 

Maristan’s Suicide Response Training increases the capacity of religious and community leaders to address suicide within our communities.

This training is a unique learning opportunity for Muslim Religious and Community Leaders to learn about suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.

 

Evidence-Based Training​

  • Maristan’s Suicide Response Training program is a result of years of research by the Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab at Stanford University.
  • Maristan is now offering this evidence-based Suicide Response Certification Training for Muslim leaders across the United States.
  • Our training was designed and peer-reviewed with notable contributions from researchers and experts in the Lab as well as expert Mental Health researchers and Islamic Scholarship from across the world.
  • For the first time in Muslim American History, Muslim Leaders can train alongside researchers and clinicians at the forefront of the field of Islamic Psychology to build professional skills in community suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.

 

Registration and Training Complete?​

  • Maristan’s Suicide Response Training is an in person training able to accomodate between 35-40 trainees who fall within the following criteria:
    • Eligibility: This training is specifically for Religious and Community Leaders including: Imams, Chaplains, Sheikh/a, Ustadh/a, Hafidh/a, Religious Directors, Youth Leaders, Islamic School Teachers, Board Members, Islamic Scholars, and other Community gatekeepers.

All attendees who attend the entirety of the day long training will be certified in Suicide Response and receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

Who are the trainers?

Dr. Rania Awaad M.D.

Dr. Rania Awaad M.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab, Associate Chief of the Division of Public Mental Health and Population Sciences, and Co-Chief of the Diversity and Cultural Mental Health Section. She is also the Co-Founder and President of Maristan, a non-profit organization dedicated to reviving the Islamic heritage of holistic wellbeing. She is currently a Senior Fellow at Yaqeen Institute and ISPU. In addition, she serves as the Director of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. She has previously served as the founding Clinical Director of the Khalil Center-San Francisco as well as a Professor of Islamic Law at Zaytuna College. Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria and holds certifications (ijaza) in Qur’an, Islamic Law and other branches of the Islamic Sciences. 

Dr. Sadya Dhanani M.D. ​

Dr. Sadiya Dhanani is a Resident Physician in Stanford’s Psychiatry Residency Program. She is currently in her last year of training as an Adult Psychiatrist and will be doing a two-year fellowship at Stanford in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry beginning in July 2023. She has particular interests in Muslim mental health and Islamic psychology, psychotherapy, cultural psychiatry, anxiety disorders, and identity-based trauma in the Muslim community and first- and second-generation immigrants. She serves as a Psychiatric Consultant for Stanford’s Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab and has worked on a number of publications, trainings, and projects alongside Dr. Rania Awaad. 

Dr. Dhanani has additionally completed a one-year intensive Quranic Arabic program and has spent time studying the Islamic sciences. She intends to continue her Quranic and Islamic Studies education in the future alongside her medical career. 

Download our Prevention Khutbah

Want a full copy of the Suicide Prevention Khutbah?

Fill out the form below to access.

By filling out the form you are agreeing to receive the full Suicide Prevention Khutbah as well as receiving email communication from Maristan.

If interested in organizing Maristan’s Suicide Response training for your community, please complete this short intake form and we will reach out to coordinate further.

Questions?

If you have additional questions or would like to learn more about scheduling an in-person training, kindly contact us at jawaida@maristan.org