The devastating loss of young lives, such as Kade Lesbo’s, provides a stark reminder that mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of their background or community. The heartbreak experienced by the Lesbo family is unimaginable, and their courage in sharing their story underscores the urgent need for open conversations about mental health and proactive suicide prevention measures.
In Nevada, mental health struggles are a pressing issue, and rural areas are especially vulnerable. Geographic isolation, limited access to mental health professionals and stigma often prevent young people in these regions from seeking help. The pressures of social media, academic performance and the broader challenges of adolescence compound these issues, making mental wellness advocacy organizations critical in fostering a culture of empathy and advocacy.
At Hope Means Nevada, where our mission is to eliminate teen suicide, we have found peer-to-peer initiatives can be most powerful in spreading mental health awareness. Through initiatives such as the Teen Hope Network — a peer-led platform offering information sharing and a sense of belonging — and the #Ask5 campaign, which encourages meaningful check-ins with friends, teens learn the enormously valuable lesson that it’s OK not to be OK. Through statewide youth mental health roundtables, where teens, educators and mental health professionals come together to discuss challenges and solutions, the importance of having a sense of community and belonging to youth mental health becomes evident.
Peer-to-peer support and communitywide exchanges are just some of the ways we can safeguard and improve our teens’ mental health. Also critical are ongoing advocacy for policy changes, including Senate Bill 249, which seeks to address gaps in mental health education and resource allocation in Nevada schools. This legislation, passed in 2021, emphasizes early intervention, requiring schools to provide mental health resources to students — including printing local and national mental health crisis hotlines on all school-issued student ID cards — and training staff in identifying signs of distress. Students are also now excused from attendance at public schools for mental health-related reasons under certain circumstances, helping teens to properly manage their stress levels and safeguard their mental health. Such measures are essential in creating a safety net for Nevada’s youth.
The introduction of the 988 Awareness Project — a three-digit hotline for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis — marks a pivotal step in making help more accessible. Launched nationwide in July 2022, this helpline connects individuals in crisis to trained counselors 24/7. It’s a critical complement to efforts such as Zero Suicides Elko County, which demonstrates the power of collective action in rural areas. By integrating the 988 hotline number into outreach efforts, the organizations amplify the availability of lifesaving resources.
We agree with the sentiment shared by Misty Vaughan Allen of the Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention — one of Hope Means Nevada’s many collaborative organizations statewide — that conversations about mental health and suicide prevention must continue beyond moments of tragedy. As a community, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to addressing this crisis, not only by increasing access to mental health resources but also by reducing the stigma around seeking help.
To anyone reading this, we urge you to #Ask5 friends or loved ones if they’re OK. It’s paramount to listen without judgment and remind them that there’s no stigma in asking for help. Together, we can create a Nevada where every young person feels supported, valued and hopeful about the future.
For more resources and ways to get involved, visit HopeMeansNevada.org. The new National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is now the three-digit dialing code 988. Those experiencing a mental health emergency can also text “Home” to 741741 to reach the National Crisis Text Line.
Julie Murray and Erika Pope are the co-chairs of Hope Means Nevada.
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