GILBERT, AZ — Chandler Unified School District is working to make student mental health a priority, introducing a brand new program to help youth fight thoughts of suicide.
The Hope Institute, based in Ohio, opened a location in Gilbert in partnership with the East Valley school district.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set to take place on August 30.
Lindsay Taylor, the clinical director of the Hope Institute, said students who have suicidal ideations will be going through up to four sessions a week, working with behavioral health specialists to reduce those thoughts.
“We specifically target and treat kids that are experiencing thoughts of suicide. We do not do any ongoing counseling. So, the two therapeutic modalities that we use are very specific to treating thoughts of suicide,” she said.
The two methods they use are called dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). DBT is a type of talk therapy to help people manage intense emotions, according to the Hope Institute. CAMS is a framework for suicide-specific assessment and treatment of a person’s risk.
Taylor, who worked in the district as a social worker before moving to the Hope Institute, saw just how big the need was for students.
“At the school, we had a hard time even finding a place to send these kids who were struggling. The fact that CUSD was able to bring on this resource that specifically targets and treats suicidality and stabilizes kids, it’s such a needed resource,” she said.
Taylor said students can be seen within 24 to 48 hours and can get help up to four times a week in possibly intensive sessions. Students can do solo sessions and there are also group sessions, and it’s all outpatient treatment.
Parents will have to give permission to allow students to attend. The mental health center is not for walk-ins; students do need to be referred by their school’s counselor or social worker.
The Hope Institute is located at Queen Creek and Val Vista in Gilbert near the student parking lot of Perry High School's Perry House. The proximity in location is helpful for some students who now know help is there.
“These people, they work with schools but you can associate them without school. I think that’s so important because it takes pressure off of students,” said Perry High freshman Maya Lehti.
“We’ve had a couple of suicides in the past couple of years. It’s taken a toll on our school and having a resource right next to Perry will be amazing,” said Kate Blanch, a senior in high school.
Derek Lee, the chief executive officer of the Hope Institute, said the district came to him with the idea of bringing it to a K-12 school level.
“We’re seeing incredible increases in suicidality among our kids. That’s something that has to be addressed,” he said. “We really need to start addressing it right where it lies and that’s within the schools.”
According to the CDC, thoughts of students wanting to die by suicide have increased. About 30% of girls surveyed in high school in 2021 reported they seriously considered attempting suicide 12 months before the survey. That’s an increase compared to 2019, which was at 24%. For male students, that increased from 13.3% in 2019 to 14.3% in 2021.
Lee, who worked in a hospital for years, said COVID changed the landscape of mental health needs, in adults and kids. The location near Perry High School is his second, and he plans to expand, hoping to tackle the mental health crisis. Being able to help people as soon as possible is a big goal.
“Most people, just knowing they’d be in within a day is enough to give them a little bit of hope. ‘OK, I can hold off one day. That’s not a problem. I can keep myself for a day if I’m going to get help,’” he said.
Taylor said kids who are not in imminent danger can come to the Hope Institute through the referral. Students who may have a more severe, immediate need for mental health help may need to go to the hospital instead.
The center opened on Monday and as of Tuesday afternoon, they already had about a dozen referrals.
As for financial needs, Taylor said they hope to take all major insurance plans and will have some funding to cover families that are uninsured.
“Cost will never be a barrier. It’s something that we will work with families on to make sure that kids are seen regardless,” she said.
Taylor said the district plans to open up the center in phases. First, they’re starting with students and helping them. Then, they plan to open it up to district staff and parents. In the future, they hope to open it up to the greater East Valley community.
The CUSD board approved more than $5 million to go toward mental health needs within the district. A district spokesperson tells ABC15 they used about $600,000 from that to go into the Hope Institute Building. The Hope Institute will then continue running and operating it on its own funds.
For more district counseling initiatives and mental health information, click here.
If you are struggling or know someone who is, do not suffer alone. Call 988 or 1-844-534-HOPE or text 988 or “HOPE” to 4hope.
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