Kalispell has seen an uptick in youth suicides, leaving the community asking why and what can be done to prevent further harm.

Suicide of any age can have a rippling effect on a community, experts say.

“When we are losing so many young people in such a short period of time, I think it is causing some fear among the communities,” executive director of the Nate Chute Foundation Kacy Howard said.

The Nate Chute Foundation is a nonprofit in the Flathead that was founded in 1999 after Howard’s friend took his own life shortly after graduation.

According to the 2019 Flathead County Youth Risk Behavior Survey, during the 12 months before the survey, 12.2% of Flathead County students from ninth to 12th grade made one or more suicide attempt. That number was 11.7% for seventh and eighth grade students.

“The why question is always hard to answer, but for this space and time it’s difficult, because we don’t have the research yet for what’s happening here,” said Howard.

Recently the Nate Chute Foundation partnered with Kalispell Logan Health to bring in Dr. Scott Poland, a national expert in suicide prevention, to address the Kalispell community, to have that open conversation of suicide and mental health.

Following that meeting on Monday, Poland will meet with local schools to talk with staff members and student leadership groups to teach them about suicide prevention and implement a plan specifically to meet the community’s needs.

“Even though we know the things to look for, it’s not always that simple,” added Howard.

If you or someone you know is dealing with emotional pain or suicidal thoughts, dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text "HELLO" to 741741, which is the Crisis Text Line.