Atlantic, Iowa — November 2025 — Cass County schools are coming together to make a powerful commitment to youth mental health. As part of a growing effort to work collaboratively across the county, all three school districts—Atlantic, CAM, and Griswold—will implement Hope Squad, a nationally recognized, peer-to-peer suicide prevention and mental wellness program for middle and high school students.

A total of 13 advisors, including school administrators, teachers, counselors, and support staff, will participate in the Hope Squad Advisor Training this month, joined by the program’s funding partners. Together, they will lead efforts to bring Hope Squad to life within each school, ensuring every student knows they have trusted adults and peers they can turn to for help.

“With mental health concerns trending in the wrong direction, we cannot afford to work on this issue independently,” said Seth Lembke Griswold’s MS/HS Principal. “This collaboration shows how deeply our communities care about the well-being of our youth. When schools unite around mental health, powerful change can happen.”

Hope Squad is designed to reduce youth suicide through education, awareness, and peer connection. Students are nominated by their parents, teachers, and peers. These students are then trained by Hope Squad Advisors to recognize warning signs of suicide, provide support, and connect peers to trusted adults and professional help when needed.

Recent community assessments and feedback have highlighted growing concerns about youth mental health in Cass County as well as at the state and national levels. Local leaders have prioritized prevention, connection, and access to resources to ensure that no young person feels alone or without support.

The Cass County Hope Squad programming is made possible through the generous support of Iowa West Foundation, APEX Wind Energy, Cass County Community Foundation, Healthy Cass County, Cass County Coalition for Mental Wellness, Cass Health and other dedicated community partners.

For more information about Hope Squad or Cass County’s youth mental health initiatives, please contact Cass Health Wellness Coordinator Grace McAfee at 712-250-8170 or mcage@casshealth.org.