GILBERT, AZ — A brand new suicide treatment center located outside of Perry High School has seen several hundred students after opening months ago.
The Hope Institute, based in Ohio, opened in Gilbert behind the high school in September in partnership with the Chandler Unified School District.
ABC15 highlighted the center when it first opened, already seeing about two dozen referrals from school counselors and social workers with permission from parents then. As the school year winds down, ABC15 went back to see the progress they’ve made in helping students.
“To me when I look at that number, close to 200 students, that's 200 lives saved. It's more than just a number, because what we're doing is important work and ultimately, we're trying to save lives,” said Lindsay Taylor, the clinical director of the Hope Institute.
The Hope Institute rolled out in three phases, helping Chandler Unified students first, then opening up to staff and faculty of the district. It is now just opening up to the greater East Valley community.
Taylor said the work they’re doing as a system is working, adding that fewer students are coming back to them for help after they go through the program.
“We have never been above a 5% recidivism rate, within 90 days in the Hope Institute,” she said, adding that these numbers are through the Hope Institute as a whole, including other locations.
It takes an average of six weeks of treatment for students and is all outpatient, so the students and/or community members can continue to stay in school, in their homes and continue with their lives.
“Students are really struggling with their mental health and not only just mental health, right, depression or anxiety, but we are seeing it is leading to that level of suicidality where they’re having thoughts of suicide,” she said.
Taylor expected slightly more students to come through the Hope Institute based on her experience as a previous social worker within Chandler Unified. She said more elementary students are coming for help than she previously thought.
“We did exceed the elementary referrals we thought we would get, so we see kids younger and younger struggling with this,” she said.
The center is open year-round despite just helping students. Families can reach out and refer themselves. For more information on the Hope Institute and what insurance they use, click here.
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. Taylor offered three tips to help others maintain their mental health.
- Get outdoors: as Arizona approaches the hottest months, Taylor said you could go early in the morning or at night.
- Be active
- Focus on more sleep
If all else, talk to someone. You can always reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
