Gulf Coast Hope Squad members attend annual summit addressing mental health

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - It was a meeting of inspiration with the annual Health Summit held at Pascagoula High School.

‍

Usually, students in health programs around the states fill the seats to learn about physical health.

‍

This year, mental health is on the agenda, adding members of the new Hope Squad to the front row.

‍

Hope Squad is a student-led organization whose goal is to encourage peers to talk with these members about their mental health through the power of connection.

‍

Hope Squad CEO Gregory Hudnall Jr. was the inspiration for these students to keep bringing hope through school doors.

‍

Hundall says, “I really hope everyone leaves today thinking, ‘How can I connect with others around me, how can I connect with the person I’m sitting next to on the school bus, how do I connect with family members and friends?’”

‍

Rachel Spates is a former Alabama principal who learned about Hope Squad after three student suicides.

‍

The organization helped her navigate those difficult times.

‍

Now, she works with Hope Squad to share that support with other schools.

‍

Hope Squad Regional Sales Executive Rachel Spates says, “We need to give students more credit. They are capable. They know what they need and in many schools that I talk to, they’re asking for more peer-to-peer connection. That’s what Hope Squad does. If we want to save our kids, we need to take care of our kids.”

‍

Hope Squad members learned a variety of tools during the presentation and activities like using the right words when talking to someone who might be suicidal or how to use their roles as messengers between peers to adults wisely.

‍

St. Martin High School Hope Squad member Madalynn Broussard says, “Being here today was great to be able to connect with all the other Hope Squads. I learned some other activities that we could do like some students mentioned buttons, a Hope Squad-wide group chat, which I think would be great for all Hope Squads to connect across the coast.”

‍

Once the session was over, Hope Squad members ran outside with paper chains filled with messages of hope from all 14 schools. They linked the chains filling the football field as a symbol of their commitment together to improving mental health in their schools.

‍

Originally published at https://www.wlox.com/2024/10/28/gulf-coast-hope-squad-members-attend-annual-summit-addressing-mental-health/