Hospital Funds Peer-Based Crisis Prevention in Butte Schools

BUTTE — Intermountain Health St. James Hospital donated $25,000 to the Butte Education Foundation on Wednesday to launch Hope Squad programs across Butte Silver Bow schools, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention initiative aimed at addressing alarming local mental health statistics.

The donation comes after the 2024 Montana Prevention Needs Assessment revealed that more than 30% of Butte students in grades 8, 10 and 12 have considered attempting suicide one or more times during the past year. That rate matches the 2022 survey results and stands 50% higher than the statewide average of approximately 20%.

“Suicide is now one of the leading causes of death among students, which is a reality that calls us to listen more closely, and provide support and understanding,” said Karen Costello, president of St. James Hospital. “Students will be taught age-appropriate suicide prevention topics including how to connect peers to help and hope.”

The Hope Squad model relies on students helping students, but members are not asked to be counselors. Instead, they’re trained to recognize warning signs that a peer is struggling and connect them to trusted adults. Peers will nominate squad members, who will then meet regularly with trained advisors to discuss mental health topics.

“The Hope Squad provides peer-to-peer support and suicide prevention for our students,” said Jim O’Neill, county superintendent of schools and vice president of the Butte Education Foundation. “Students will be nominated by their peers to participate. From there, the squad will meet regularly with trained advisors to talk and learn about mental health.”

School staff say the peer-based approach addresses a fundamental reality: students are more likely to share struggles with classmates than with adults.

“Kids are already familiar with each other,” said Chris Kellogg, principal of Ramsay School, where representatives gathered Wednesday to announce the partnership. “They’ll be able to realize that they can talk to their peers about things that are on their mind and have the confidence that they’ll be heard.”

O’Neill said schools in Dillon that have implemented the Hope Squad Program are already seeing benefits.

Shari Charron, community health program manager at Intermountain Health and a parent, said the program fills a critical gap.

“As a parent working in settings with behavioral health, I’m grateful this program will be available for my daughter when she goes into middle and high school,” Charron said. “I know I won’t be the person who she will always want to talk to, but there might be a peer who can reach out to her in a different way than I ever could.”

Students selected for Hope Squad will be nominated by their peers before being reviewed and approved by staff and the parents of each nominated student. The Butte School District plans to begin implementing trainings for students and advisors after the holidays.

“We believe this program will help reduce the stigma around suicide and instead will empower students to ask for help when they need it,” Costello said.

Out of 634 Butte students in grades 8 through 12 who participated in the 2024 Montana Prevention Needs Assessment, the 30% rate of suicidal consideration has remained unchanged since the 2022 survey.

“I’m thankful to Intermountain Health for bringing funding to support behavioral health specific to our youth here in Butte Silver Bow,” Kellogg said.