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Hope Empowerment Coalition briefs Garden City board on youth suicide-prevention work
Summary
Brian Galdis presented the coalition's suicide-prevention efforts, citing survey-based extrapolations and training work (QPR) and urging student leadership through peer programs; board members asked about local QPR training and student involvement.
Brian Galdis, suicide-prevention coordinator for the Hope Empowerment Coalition and a former superintendent, told the Garden City Public Schools Board on June 22 that the coalition's mission is to work with schools and health systems to reduce youth suicide. Galdis said the coalition includes nine districts and hospital partners and that the group has trained roughly 6,000 adults across participating districts in QPR (question, persuade, refer) intervention skills.
Galdis cited national and state survey data and explained his extrapolation to Garden City's student population: "suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10 through 14," and, using Michigan self-report survey rates, he estimated hundreds of high-school–age students in the region have experienced significant sadness or hopelessness and that a nontrivial number have made attempts in the previous 12 months. He emphasized these are extrapolations from survey data, not reported individual cases.
The coalition is pursuing peer-to-peer student programs (the presentation named Be Nice K12 and Sources of Strength as options) and a student-led network called Students Versus Stigma. Galdis said Growth Works provided grant funding to support the peer-program rollout and that the coalition is working to standardize communication across emergency rooms, residential-treatment centers and schools to improve transitions for students in crisis.
Board members asked whether Garden City high-school students receive QPR training; Dr. Stan said the district conducts trainings twice yearly in health classes for roughly 60 students per semester and that Garden City is an early leader within the coalition. Members also asked how students are selected for the Students Versus Stigma group; Galdis said participation is currently voluntary and that next year the coalition will expand hybrid meeting opportunities and hold two larger coordinating events to build participation across the coalition's 19 high schools.
Galdis closed by urging continued cross-district collaboration, data collection and centering student voice in prevention work. The board thanked him for the presentation and noted the district will continue coordinating with coalition partners.
