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SALT LAKE CITY — A big resource in the effort to combat suicide is Hope4Utah. The program started in Provo but is now available throughout the state.
Dr. Greg Hudnall has spent hundreds of hours speaking to thousands of people all over the state about suicide prevention. His reasons are personal.
"I was a high school principal, notified by the police there was a student with no identification who had taken his life in the park next to my school," Hudnall said.
He had to identify the body and afterwards vowed to do everything he could to prevent another death by suicide.
Over the next four or five months, he organized the HOPE Task Force — it brought together community leaders, mental health experts and included a comprehensive peer-mentoring program.
The impact has been remarkable. The Provo School District used to average 1–2 suicides a year but is now going on its eighth year without a suicide. Hudnall and officials agree that part of the success is the teachers being eyes and ears for the program.
"I think that is why we have such a model program here, is that we have prevention pieces but we also have that partnership piece, and communication is a big part of that," said Rick Gregory, Provo's chief of police.
Hudnall used the Provo model to create the Hope4Utah website.
The site offers training opportunities and outlines what to do when a student is in crisis. It recently finished a Teacher's Guide to Suicide Prevention.
Last year the Utah legislature passed a bill requiring public school teachers to receive two hours of training every five years on how to recognize signs of suicidal behavior in youths.
"Knowing some of the things to look for and see and be able to do something maybe positive is kind of aneat feeling, if you took the time," said Dave Shelton, a teacher at Timpview High School. "When you know some of them are struggling, it hurts you like your own kids were struggling."
