Have you ever felt a moment of panic when you couldn’t find your phone? A peer-to-peer group at St. John Lutheran School in Seward took that one step further. The Hope Squad is a suicide prevention program that encourages students struggling or contemplating suicide to go to their peers first. The squad is trained in the QPR method. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer, Quinton Moore, a squad member, said. Kinslee Meyer said the training teaches the students what to watch for in body language and other signs a person is considering suicide. Khloe Bogenrief said the Hope Squad meets every other Friday. Quinton said they talk about mental health and what they can do. Lena Weber said they look at some of the stigmas related to mental health, as well. The Hope Squad learned that screen time can impact a person’s mental health. “Most of us look down at our screens,” Kinslee said. “We wanted up and out,” Quinton said. “If you text an insult, you can’t see the reaction,” Khloe said, adding that the texter can’t see how much that insult hurt the recipient. So, the Hope Squad and advisor Jessica Brashear decided to encourage a 48-hour phone detox.
