According to Mental Health America, over 19% of youth aged 12 to 17 suffer from major depression. Over 13% of youth have had thoughts about taking their own life.
With the school year in full swing, Creighton Prep is buzzing with energy. Conversations about sports, homework assignments, and what clubs to join run wild through the halls. Yet, amidst the busy lives of students, one critical aspect often gets sidelined: mental health.
The Hope Squad aims to change that.
Led by mental health therapist Kevin Kaminski and counselor Jeff Wellwood, the Hope Squad is a group of students dedicated to combating suicide in the Prep community.
“Our goal is not to be your standard group or club where we are front and center all the time,” Kaminski said. “We want to be there to support other groups. We want to be there to support this community.”
The Hope Squad focuses on providing education, prevention, intervention, and postvention for students throughout the Prep community. The members strive to foster positive dialogue about mental health and challenge the stigma that talking about it is a sign of weakness.
“It truly is a strength to be able to talk about your mental health. It’s not a weakness,” Hope Squad Vice President Seamus Haney said. “And when you break down that barrier, that’s when you can really feel better and recover.”
All Hope Squad members are recommended by counselors and then chosen by the group itself. The Hope Squad looks to have students with a variety interests and activities to provide resources to all ends of the Prep community.
“We have kids in every area,” Kaminski said. “They’re in interest groups. Prep Accepts, Student Council, Bee Club, Auto Club, all those things. They’re actually impacting those groups too.”
The Hope Squad members undergo rigorous training to handle crisis situations as well. They receive training on how to spot someone struggling and provide the help they need.
“These young men are going through approximately ten sessions of training in a semester and a half,” Kaminski said. “And it’s about spotting signs of suicide, how to question, how to persuade that individual to talk, and how to refer that individual to help.”
In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month this September, the Hope Squad had been busy holding events to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention. They hosted the sixth annual Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Mass on September 10th, coinciding with Suicide Prevention Day.
The Hope Squad urges students who are struggling to reach out — reminding them that they are not alone.
“A lot of people when they hear the word ‘suicide’ or ‘mental health’ think it’s a bad thing,” President Max Pietro said. “We are here for you. Anyone who’s struggling, they can come and then we can talk about it.”
