Rupprecht family encourages Deer Lakes to implement 'Hope Squad' suicide prevention program

The family of a West Deer teenager who died by suicide last year wants to bring a school-based, peer-to-peer suicide prevention program to the Deer Lakes School District.

“Hope Squad” was created by Gregory Hudnall, an associate superintendent with Provo City School District in Utah. For over 12 years, the district was averaging one to two youth suicides a year, including the death of a fourth grader who took his life on the school campus, its website says.

As a result of those deaths, Hudnall made it his mission to prevent youth suicide.

As Hope Squad evolved, Hudnall and his team learned that most young people who die by suicide gave a warning sign or told a friend what they were planning, but the majority of those friends never told an adult.

The same thing happened with Maura Rupprecht, her mother said.

Maura was a Deer Lakes High School sophomore who died by suicide in March 2019. She was 16.

“After Maura passed, we did discover that Maura shared her thoughts with at least 10 people. That information never made it back to us,” her mom, Molly Rupprecht, said. “They were friends who maybe did not believe Maura, or maybe they thought they were helping her keep secrets, or they didn’t know where to go.

“I feel that we may have had a chance to get Maura some help, and the other students that have struggled here, as well.”

Hope Squad student members are trained to identify suicide warning signs in their peers and refer those peers to adults. If the adults believe more intervention is needed, they can refer the students to mental health experts.

Maura’s parents, Dan and Molly Rupprecht, and district administrators worked together to decide which programs would be most beneficial to students.

Molly Rupprecht said she saw a segment about Hope Squad on NBC news and began researching the program. She said funds raised from an alumni hockey game held in Maura’s honor last year are enough to pay for almost four years of Hope Squad resources, education and training.

The inaugural Maura C. Rupprecht Alumni Hockey Game was hosted by the Deer Lakes Hockey Club. Maura is connected to the hockey club through her brother, Mitchell, who used to be a member.

The fundraising goal for the game was $5,000. It raised more than $8,200.

“Boy, did we knock it out of the park,” said club President Pietro Porco.

Porco said the goal is to make the hockey game an annual event.

The hockey club typically would like to hold it on a Sunday during winter break so alumni can come back to participate.

Because of the coronavirus, Porco said the club has contemplated holding it next year, or hosting a virtual event. Committee members will meet soon to decide on a date.

Molly Rupprecht said the next steps for the Hope Squad would be receiving school board approval and establishing a committee of mental health counselors, administrators, parents and teachers to discuss how to go about training squad members.

If approved, Deer Lakes would be the first school district in Pennsylvania to implement the program, she said.

“In the schools that have welcomed the Hope Squad, the stigma of mental health is decreased. When that happens, people are more likely to seek help,” Rupprecht said. “I believe that is why Maura did not share with the appropriate adults. She knew there was a stigma.”

Since Maura died, the Rupprechts have been approached by several people who have shared with them their personal struggles with suicide and mental health. They don’t want to see another family go through what they’ve been through.

“Through the Hope Squad, we feel that there’s another set of eyes,” Dan Rupprecht said. “And maybe they can talk to somebody and get the right help.”