Public Health Division, Region 5

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Region 5 News

Natural Helpers Program Helps Prevent Teen Suicides

(Las Cruces) - - The New Mexico Department of Health and several New Mexico schools are teaching students that they can take an active role in preventing suicides through the Natural Helpers Program. Natural Helpers is a peer-to-peer youth project designed to teach teens about the warning signs of suicide and encourage them to get help. The project is one of the youth suicide prevention approaches funded by the Department of Health’s Office of School and Adolescent Health.

Norma Vasquez, youth suicide prevention coordinator for the Department of Health’s Office of School and Adolescent Health, said the project has been successful in changing the culture of the schools to a place where teens are more likely to ask for help, which is a critical step in preventing suicides.

“The Natural Helpers students are the eyes and ears of the school and do a great job in helping other students seek help and in reducing the social stigma related to asking for help when you are in need,” Vasquez said.

The Natural Helpers project is currently operated at Navajo Prep High School in Shiprock, Capital High School in Santa Fe, Mesa Vista High School in Chama, Carlsbad High School, Pojoaque High School, Gallup High School and Gadsden High School and Middle School. The program started in 2006.

Colleen Runyon, school nurse at Gadsden High School, said the students in the Natural Helpers Project are given extensive training in recognizing the signs that someone may be considering suicide and how to gain the trust of their peers.

“This is a very effective project because of the level of trust students have in their peers,” Runyon said. “We teach the students to listen and gather information, but they know they are not counselor and they need to involve an adult such as a school nurse or counselor. We never want to put the full responsibility of counseling another student on the Natural Helpers. All the students that are part of this project understand their role and are committed to helping their fellow students.”

Runyon said students in the Natural Helpers project are required to meet once a week for training and are closely supervised. Students who are new to the project also have the opportunity to learn from students about how to be more accessible, approachable and trustworthy to their peers.

Lisa Caseaneda, a 16-year-old student at Gadsden High School has been a Natural Helper for three years and has seen the positive impact it has on her fellow students.

“Students will turn to other students first because they think they will not be judged for how they are feeling because students feel that adults do not understand our generation,” Caseaneda said.