The HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery & Grand County is an organization within the area that was created to meet the suicide prevention needs of the community.
“The mission of the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery & Grand County is to educate, promote and spread awareness for a healthier community with an emphasis on mental health and suicide prevention, support for suicide loss survivors, and to cultivate a stigma-free approach in seeking help,” said Suicide Prevention Specialist Amanda McIntosh. The organization works closely with other agencies in the area to make sure that community members are aware there is resources that are willing to help in time of crisis.
During this time of uncertainty, it is easy to be stressed about the COVID-19 pandemic that the world is facing at this time. “That can have a lot of our residents feeling cooped up, maybe a little claustrophobic and that they feel they are disconnected from their loved ones and places of work things like that. And just to remind people that there is still hope in our community that we will get through this, we just need to take it one day at a time and that this ultimately is a temporary situation,” explained McIntosh. It’s important the community is fully aware that there are many services/resources available to take care of their mental health.
The HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery & Grand County has some great ideas to help during this time. “Getting outside in nature as we talked about before is always a good way to clear the mind and change the energy of how you’re feeling from a nature stand point, challenging yourself to stay in the present, again going back to the separating what is in your control from what’s not, is very important, staying in the present, what can we do today to help us make it through today and we’ll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow when it comes,” said McIntosh. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255, open 24/7, it’s a free and confidential support for people in distress
To learn more about the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties contact the Southeast Utah Health Department at (435) 637-3671.