360.738.1196 madhope@wfcn.org

M.A.D. ~ H.O.P.E.

Making A Difference – Helping Other People Everywhere

Youth suicide preventioN

Trusted Adult ART CONTEST!
Trusted Adults

Concerned now?

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.8255 (TALK)

suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Crisis Text Line: 741-741

Our Mission:
To eliminate suicides.

Our mission is to eliminate youth suicide by empowering school communities with opportunities for interpersonal connectedness, accurate information about youth suicide and practical tools designed to prevent it.

We provide young individuals with the courage and knowledge to address youth depression and suicide in our community.  The training aims to reduce stigma, shatter myths, and empower individuals to support those dealing with suicidal ideation in our community.

Workshop participants will learn tools to identify warning signs, communicate with compassion, and learn how to connect youth with support and resources.

M.A.D.  H.O.P.E. is a collaborative program that includes the Whatcom County Health Department, Bellingham Public School District, the Whatcom Family and Community Network and the Whatcom Prevention Coalition, and is aimed at offering hope through positive action.

Trusted Adults

A Trusted Adult in the life of a young person can be a powerful protective factor. We encourage students to identify who the Trusted Adults are in their life and to connect with them for support. Click on the button above to learn more!

What we do:

The M.A.D. – H.O.P.E. Youth Suicide Prevention Training is a 1.5 hour training designed by youth and our caring community. Based on current suicide prevention research, our training aims to open up the conversation about suicide, help combat stigma surrounding mental illnesses and suicide, and help others learn how to identify and intervene with a loved one. Our primary goals are listed below:

Primary Goals:

Virtual Training

Please note that we moved to virtual training sessions for the 2020-2021 school year. Please check with us for a return to in-person trainings!

No Shame

Reduce stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide.

Learn

Identify suicidal ideation in peers and loved ones.

Connect

Learn to respond, assist and refer suicidal thinkers to appropriate resources.

Share

Promote peer-to-peer education, support and intervention.

Alec & Daylin – One Conversation Saved My Life

Calm Ap – Breath Bubble Exercise

Dreamcatcher – Suicide Prevention PSA

M.A.D.-H.O.P.E. Team Members

Jeff McKenna

Jeff McKenna

Prevention Interventionist - Bellingham High School

he/him/his

Jeff has been a Prevention and Intervention Specialist with Bellingham High School and recently retired after working with the School District for over 30 years. He was also a leader on the Mobile Response Team  He helped develop the M.A.D. – H.O.P.E. curriculum in 2012, when it was first being created and has been involved ever since. Jeff was recognized for his leadership, heart and contributions to the community with the Legacy Builder Award at the 2020 Community Builders Awards.

Danielle Humphreys,

Danielle Humphreys,

Youth Suicide Prevention and Wellness Specialist

she/her/hers

Danielle is the Youth Suicide Prevention and Wellness Specialist, managing M.A.D. ~ H.O.P.E. and comes with a strong youth serving background focused on growth, leadership development, social justice, and spirituality. She has worked with youth and families for 20 years and is a passionate advocate for healthy, empowered and resilient youth and communities. Danielle enjoys growing and eating food, nurturing and beholding the beauty of the natural world, being part of a faith community, being creative and listening to music. She’s mom to 3 kids, 2 dogs, and lots of plant babies.
Contact: madhope@wfcn.org
Alexandria Scott

Alexandria Scott

she/her/hers

Alexandria Scott is a senior at Western Washington University studying Human Services. She graduates in the Spring of 2021 and is beyond excited to pursue a master’s degree in elementary education starting this Fall. Alex has worked as an intern with MAD-HOPE since January 2021 and will continue to work with us until June. Youth suicide prevention is important to Alex because of the personal experiences she has with friends dying by suicide as well as her own history with mental illness. She enjoys the outdoors, and you can usually catch her walking her dog, Dewey, along the water. Contact:  madhope@wfcn.org
Jackie Posner

Jackie Posner

CONNECTED Youth Mental Well-Being Coordinator

she/her/hers

Jackie (she/her/hers) is an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving as the CONNECTED Youth Mental Well-Being Coordinator at the Whatcom Family and Community Network. She graduated from Western Washington University in Winter 2019 with an interdisciplinary degree involving somatic psychology and animal-assisted therapy. She works closely with M.A.D.- H.O.P.E. and is passionate about supporting youth. Jackie enjoys doing activities outdoors, reading, and spending time with animals, especially her cat Peaches. Contact: vista@wfcn.org
Jazmin Carpenter

Jazmin Carpenter

National Youth Influencer

she/her/hers

Jazmin is a 21 year old originally from Anacortes, Washington. She has been studying at Western Washington University and will be graduating with a bachelor’s in Human Services with a minor in psychology, and women, gender, and sexuality studies. She likes cats, video games, hip hop, and makeup. M.A.D. ~ H.O.P.E. is special to her because she lost her brother to suicide. Being able to communicate with youth about preventing and intervening with suicide is an honor.

Quotes from Students

The names and faces attached to the stories have been changed to protect privacy, but the experiences are recent, real, and full of hope.

Lynden High School Student

Thank you for educating me with more information about suicide. Now I can help my peers and family when they’re enduring their problems. I will take action since I have had family members who have died by suicide, I now know why everything happened.

Sehome High School Student

Thank you for presenting your suicide awareness information to our class. This topic is extremely important and I wish the rest of the world was as talkative and educated about it as M.A.D. – H.O.P.E. I enjoyed the videos you showed, especially the one on how to start the conversation and the poem. You are doing a great thing at M.A.D. – H.O.P.E. Thank you

Trusted Adults

Lynden High School Student

Dear Mad Hope,  Thank you so much for taking your time out the day to teach us about suicide and how to help people and some personal stories. Currently I know of a couple of my friends who are just a little depressed and I will make sure to talk to them and continue to know what they are thinking and feeling so that they can stay their amazing selves with us for as long as possible. I loved how you showed how much you care for others, how much you really want to help them. It was pretty cool to see that people are there and always care. I hope that I can forever have all of that in mind, thank you.

Mental Health Resources

PDF

Quick Intervention Guide

PDF

M.A.D. ~ H.O.P.E. Packet

PDF

M.A.D. ~ H.O.P.E. Powerpoint

Powerpoint
*You may receive a warning when attempting to download these files. We are aware of the situation, the files have been scanned for viruses and are safe.

Learn. Connect. Share

Making a difference starts here. Let’s stop suicide together. Send a note, or call 360-738-1196

Disclaimer: We are not a crisis response center and are not equipped to respond to crisis. We focus on prevention and do not check messages 24/7. If you or someone you know is in crisis please call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1.800.273.8255 (TALK)

10 + 4 =

“Jimi Hendrix once said, ‘When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.’ M.A.D. – H.O.P.E. Is exactly that power of love that Hendrix was talking about. In my experience, working with the amazing men and women of this organization, I realized that when we put our heads together, we can make a huge difference. I know a lot of people that, because of M.A.D. – H.O.P.E., their lives are forever changed for the better. M.A.D. – H.O.P.E. is a big part of the future for a world we want our kids to live in, the world that Jimi Hendrix, Ghandi, and Einstein imagined, the time for a mental health revolution is now and I believe M.A.D. – H.O.P.E. is right up front fighting the good fight and steering that revolution in a positive direction! ” – Oliver

Oliver Trulock

M.A.D. ~ H.O.P.E. Volunteer

M.A.D. ~ H.O.P.E.

making a difference – helping other people everywhere

360.738.1196

madhope@wfcn.org

Our Sponsors:

Web design provided by:

Vicki Robinson