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Welcome to our educational suicide prevention website.

In 1999 a group of concerned individuals met to discuss a topic of critical concern - youth suicide.  This group of professionals, parents, and concerned citizens became the “Utah County HOPE Task Force.” Their name included “HOPE,” an acronym for intervening with suicidal youth: HO –hold on, P – persuade and E – empower.

From 1999 to 2005, Provo City School District’s student population of 13,000 students averaged one youth suicide each year. In an effort to prevent youth suicide, the HOPE Task Force developed an intervention model based on the U.S. Surgeon General’s Eleven Steps, Call to Action to Prevent Suicide.  Wasatch Mental Health, Provo City School District, Intermountain Health Care, and Brigham Young University joined forces to strengthen the Provo community, providing training and support to prevent youth suicide.

The HOPE Task Force provides a variety of mental health resources for families and students struggling with mental illness. All eleven steps are critical to an effective suicide prevention program. The tireless efforts of many have resulted in success, not losing one youth to suicide since 2006. 

Provo’s success in reducing youth suicide prompted numerous training requests from other school districts and communities across Utah. In response to these requests, this website, “Hope4Utah,” was created to provide statewide access to information on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention for school leaders, teachers and parents. Hope4Utah encourages all Utah citizens to combine efforts in preventing youth suicide. Please join Hope4Utah as a volunteer and “Help Utah Defeat Suicide.”

Dr. Gregory A. Hudnall
Executive Director
Utah County HOPE Task Force