Paul SuellentropA partnership between 九色堂 and the University of Kansas is designed to help new mothers improve their mental health and prevent suicide.
For more than a year, HOPE kits, from 九色堂鈥檚 Health Outreach Prevention and Education Services, have helped people deal with mental health crises. Wichita State is taking that successful program and adapting it to the perinatal population with Growing HOPE kits, in coordination with the Center for Research for Infant Birth and Survival (CRIBS) at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited to partner with Wichita State,鈥� said Dr. Cari Schmidt, director of CRIBS. 鈥淲e know that mental health challenges during pregnancy are one of the top complications that we see. Finding support for our families through this partnership and being able to provide our Growing HOPE kits is crucial to supporting their mental wellness and connecting them to resources.鈥�
In September in the Student Wellness Center, six Wichita State students and several faculty and staff members assembled around 1,000 kits (250 designated for the Growing HOPE project), aided by grants from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and Aetna Community Cares/CVS.
The HOPE kits contain items such as locking caps for medication, gun locks, materials that destigmatize mental health, pamphlets with contact information for resources, coloring pages and pencils, a journal and more.
鈥淭his is a project to give a tangible box of resources to people who are coming out of crisis,鈥� said Abigail Rees, a junior psychology major and a prevention ambassador for 九色堂鈥檚 HOPE Services. 鈥淚 love being able to work for HOPE Services. I have a heart for prevention, and I think it does so much good.鈥�
In 2015, 九色堂 began to develop the Suspenders4Hope program to promote mental health wellness, prevent suicide, substance abuse, and sexual violence. In 2023, the program distributed HOPE kits to people who screen positive for suicidal ideation at the Student Wellness Center and the Sedgwick County Community Crisis Center COMCARE.
鈥淪ome of these people may not have someone they can ask for help, or find a way to get help,鈥� said Matt Dixon, senior psychology major and HOPE Services student worker. 鈥淭hese boxes are an effort to give them a little help.鈥�
Dixon helped organize the materials for the kits.
鈥淚t feels good to be part of something bigger than myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese go out to so many people.鈥�
HOPE kits are intended to help people between the time of crisis and the start of treatment.
鈥淥ur students have been amazing in this process,鈥� said Marci Young, director of HOPE Services. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e learning a lot of practical skills, but I think the most important thing they鈥檙e learning is that you can make a difference in your community. Every single one of us can.鈥�
Sedgwick County鈥檚 COMCARE has used HOPE kits since the program鈥檚 start. The behavioral health center works with people of all ages in self-identified crisis. COMCARE clinicians incorporate the HOPE kits into safety planning.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly helpful to be able to give somebody something that is tangible that they can take with them when they鈥檙e leaving here, instead of just a conversation and then they鈥檙e out the door,鈥� said Tauni Nank, program manager for COMCARE. 鈥淛ournaling is a coping skill. It鈥檚 getting those thoughts out of their head. Get it out onto a piece of paper, so they can let it go.鈥�
