Greg Hudnall, then a new school principal, had to identify the body of a student who had killed himself. Suicide prevention became a personal mission for Mr. Hudnall and he went on to found the Utah Hope Task Force.
Utah has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, especially among young men, and we’re in the middle of the “suicide belt” which runs through the Rockies. Greg Hudnall, now Provo School District’s director of student services, joins us to talk about how to prevent suicide.
Our guests also include Kim Kettle with Valley Mental Health and North Sanpete School District Superintendent Leslie Keisel.
Also in our discussion on suicide, we talk to Kelli Peterman, of the Trevor Project, providing crisis intervention and preventing suicide in Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
Our guests said talking about suicide doesn't cause issues, it helps. Young people often want to reach out and talk about it, and there are warning signs, such as an individual giving away prized possessions, losing interest in activities an individual normally likes, and talking about harming themselves. There are avenues to get help. In Utah, there are many organizations including Valley Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Utah.
