The month of September was Suicide Prevention Month, which the National Alliance on Mental Illness describes as a month to bring hope to the highly stigmatized issue of suicide. Piggybacking off of that sentiment, Gretna Public Schools hopes not just to raise awareness of suicide prevention in September, but year long, by instituting a group called Hope Squad, whose goal is to empower and educate students against suicide, in both high schools.
“The mission of Hope Squad is connectedness and positivity,” Hope Squad sponsor and counselor Kristine Meier said. “Their jobs aren’t only suicide prevention. We’re doing suicide prevention when all people feel connected to the school and all people feel a positive atmosphere where they can go and feel safe.”
In total, 34 Griffin Hope Squad members composed of all grades began their mission before the school year even started by attending a training session with Meier on Aug. 9 about how to identify the signs of suicidal thoughts in their peers.
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated over 49,000 people died in the United States by suicide, and 13.6% of those deaths were people between the ages of 14 and 24. Because of the large range of people affected being high school aged, administrators, students and teachers around the country felt that Hope Squad was a way to bring an often uncomfortable and not talked about issue to light.
“Everybody comes with a different story through the doors,” assistant principal Michael Tomjack said. “Our mission is first and foremost just to make sure we don’t exclude kids, and to build a culture that accepts kids to connect them. If they come here and don’t feel like they have a lot of friends, there are people here who are friendly and will look out for them.”
The nationwide Hope Squad organization began in 2004 following the suicide of a fourth grader in the Provo City School District, Utah, on school grounds. As a result, the principal and founder of Hope Squad, Dr. Greg Hundall, went into Timpview High asking students throughout various English classes to name three peers who they would feel comfortable talking to if they were struggling emotionally. The top 40 students named became the first-ever Hope Squad. Following Hundall’s model, GPS also had the student body identify peers they felt were caring individuals who would be good to talk to.
“They [Hope Squad members] aren’t licensed therapists,” Meier said. “They’re seen as a positive person in the building that someone can go to if they’re struggling, they’re not there to tell people what to do.”
Senior Lily Matya is one such individual who was nominated by her peers.
“I accepted my nomination to be part of Hope Squad because I have been in a position where I needed help and didn’t know where to go,” Matya said. “I felt honored that people see me as a person they can go to for help or just someone to lean on.”
And while it’s true that Hope Squad members are not certified therapists, they are students who want their peers to know that there is help available.
“My goal as a member of Hope Squad this year is to help bring attention to the issue of suicide and the importance of reaching out for help,” Matya said. “I hope to help as many students as possible, whether directly or indirectly.”
Throughout September, the group focused on some indirect ways to spread their message. One of the first things they did was a “Chalk the Walk” event to spread positivity and hopefulness.
Chalk the Walk “is where we write positive, inspiring messages on the sidewalk leading up to the entrances to the school,” Matya said.
In addition to the positive messages on sidewalks, members of Hope Squad also created a Hope Banner in the lunchroom with positive affirmations on it for all to see. Additionally, each member wore Hope Squad t-shirts to identify themselves as outlets for students to talk with.
“I’ve noticed how people stop to read the nice remarks the Hope Squad writes on posters and on the sidewalk,” junior Claire Hayworth said. “It seems to make people feel more positive about their day.”