By Peggy Brockman
February 26th, I received that call no parent or grandparent ever wants to receive. One of my grandsons had attempted to take his own life – he attempted to commit suicide. He was the most unsuspecting person in his high school. Active, Student Council member, straight A student, good looking, heart centered young man who really thinks through things and looks at life rationally. Until this day.
You see, he was being bullied by a couple of girls in one of his classes – saying horrible, hurtful things and embarrassing him in front of his peers. (Their explanation when they found out the result of their behavior was that they were screwed up in the head and he had it all together and that was why they did it.) He made his first B which was like failing to him. There were changes going on in his family life that were unsettling. When it was all added together, he simply felt HOPELESS.
We were lucky. He is OK now. He survived. Over 6,800 young people weren’t as fortunate in a one-year period in 2017. Over 6,800 families are still grieving the loss of their precious young ones. ¡EACH DAY OVER 3,000 TEENS NATIONWIDE ATTEMPT SUICIDE. Teen suicide skyrocketed 76% between 2008 and 2018. Our Gulf Coast region is NUMBER THREE (3) in the state with percent of school age suicides. Suicides increased by 33% among African Americans and 65% AMONG HISPANICS.
IT MUST STOP. United for a Good Cause, Inc., a Florida 501c3 non-profit organization who are focused on the growth and development of our area youth, have taken on the mission of doing something about it. They asked me to come on board to research the programs available and after weeks of research, we chose the Hope Squad program started by Hope4Utah. Hope Squads reduce youth suicide through education, training and peer intervention. It was the best peer to peer suicide prevention program we could find. Hope Squad members are nominated by their classmates as trustworthy peers and trained by certified advisors. They are not taught to act as counselors, but rather how to be peer advocates, recognize signs of suicide contemplation, and respectfully report any concerns to an adult. Hope Squads are the eyes and ears of the school.
Hope Squad members strive to create a safe school environment, promote kindness and connectedness, support anti-bullying, encourage mental wellness, reduce mental health stigma and prevent substance misuse.
JOIN THE HOPE MOVEMENT! Although our program launch begins in Okaloosa County School District, we have a goal of every school in the Gulf Coast Region implementing the Hope Squad program.
¡WE NEED YOUR HELP! WE NEED YOUR SPONSORSHIP OR CONTRIBUTIONS, we need for you to request a program for your children’s schools, we need you to help us create awareness. We need the opportunity to come speak at events you are a part of…. heck, we even need a donated office space in the Fort Walton Area!
Visit us at www.messageofhope.info to download a free resource on recognizing the signs of suicide and to add your name to our mailing list to be notified when events are taking place. Email us at [email protected] or call Peggy Brockman, Program Director, at 850-259-8356 for more information on how YOU or YOUR COMPANY can help make our dream of bringing HOPE SQUAD to every school in our region a reality. EVERY LIFE MATTERS – JOIN US IN BRINGING HOPE TO STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
