Hope.

It's the sense that help is on the way. That light is at the end of the darkness.

That no matter how bad things seem, they will get better.

On Thursday, Feb. 17, the Lakeland Joint School District and Real Life Ministries will host the "Irreplaceable" Parent Night to provide resources — and hope — for families struggling with suicide.

"The main purpose of this event is to really bring the community together," said Lakeland lead counselor and suicide prevention lead Heather Hamilton, who is organizing the parent night.

"We’re on the frontlines of a community mental health crisis," she said. "We rank nationally higher with regards to suicide and suicide concerns. This is a community issue."

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, suicide was the ninth-most-common cause of death in 2020 and claimed the lives of 421 Idahoans that year.

Idaho has the fifth-highest suicide rate in the U.S. It is the second-leading cause of death among youth ages 10-19.

"We need to ask the tough questions, we need to know who our kids are hanging out with and we need to spend meaningful time connecting to family, friends and healthy activities," Hamilton said "We need to model and reinforce that everybody struggles, but it is not shameful to ask for help. It takes so much strength to ask for help because it's vulnerable, but it's one of the strongest things you can do."

The evening will include mental health resources, words from Lakeland Superintendent Becky Meyer, an overview of Lakeland's suicide prevention protocols, a question-and-answer session and a viewing of the "Irreplaceable" parent video that includes interviews from Lakeland students, faculty and family members.

"Irreplaceable" was created through a partnership with Lakeland and Real Life Ministries to address parent questions and concerns about suicide and how to talk to kids and teens about it.

"A lot of people think if you talk about it, it’s like introducing the idea," Real Life pastor Jim Putman said. "That's absolutely not true."

"Suicide is happening around us, you’ve got copycat stuff," he said. "Those thoughts were already there. When these things happen, that's when to get your kids aside and start asking questions.

"You can't ignore it," he said. "That doesn't help."

Businessman and community powerhouse Ron Nilson said this subject is near and dear to the hearts of many he knows whose loved ones have attempted or completed suicide.

"We have to educate our community, especially, because we’re one of the highest-ranked states per capita," he said.

He described "Irreplaceable" as an incredible film.

"It doesn't sensationalize suicide," he said. "It doesn't condemn kids who have done that. Kids need to know they can talk to their friends about it."

He said some people have the idea "not to rat" when a friend expresses suicidal thoughts. Nilson said there's a difference between "ratting" on someone and saving the life of a child.

"The best thing you can do if you really love somebody is to save their life," he said.

Meyer said the intention of the "Irreplaceable" parent docu-series "is only to provide the help that parents are seeking."

"We get a lot of questions from our parents about, 'How do we talk to our kids about suicide?'" she said. "We're not trying to step in, we're not trying to replace any responsibilities or their right as a parent. This night is intended to give information and provide resources for parents if they have reached out to us seeking help."

The event will go from 5-7 p.m. at the Kootenai Technical Education Campus, 6838 W. Lancaster Road, Rathdrum.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24 hours a day: 800-273-8255