At SHS, a powerful new peer-to-peer, a new student-led initiative is offering students hope in the midst of their mental health needs. Hope Squad, a program that is found in schools across the nation, has now been established at SHS.
“I learned about Hope Squad from a visit to a conference in Prosper,” SHS Principal Dr. Ashlee Graham said. “When I returned to campus and mentioned it to our campus counseling team, I learned that they were already interested in it. So we planned a trip to Walnut Grove HS in Prosper to learn from their Hope Squad. Their program is so advanced that students are in an elective class period for it. From there, the rest is history.”
Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program focused on empowering students to recognize warning signs in their peers and help guide them to the appropriate resources. The program is unique in that it draws on the power of peer relationships—students who are often the first to notice when their friends are struggling with mental health issues.
Members, nominated by their peers for being trustworthy and approachable, will receive specialized training to identify signs of distress, offer support, and connect struggling students with adults who can help. The overarching goal is to foster a culture of care, where students look out for one another and help break down the stigma surrounding mental health.
“Hope Squad members will be trained on suicide prevention by District Counseling Coordinator Melissa James using the QPR training - Question, Persuade and Refer,” Counsler Kersti Engrav said. “They are trained to identify at-risk students, provide friendship and seek help from an adult.”
Dr. Graham’s vision for the group comes with important statistics.
“According to the CDC, suicide is in the top three leading causes of death for teens ages 15-19,” she said. “With the advancements in technology and what research shows about how social media is impacting teens, I think it is prudent for us to be proactive where teen mental health is concerned. Hope Squad is known to have effective prevention strategies that can help minimize the risk of self-harm. If Hope Squad changes even one life, it’s worth the investment.”
The SHS Hope Squad:
Brooklyn Bomkamp
Katie Bowser
Alyric Brown
Savannah Bryan
Olivia Butler
Noah Canning
Leah Devaraj
Allison Gonzalez
Ben Griffin
Paul Griffin
Jillian Jacob
Abigial Jacob
Albert John
Kendall Kilgore
Cayson Maupin
Alli McAda
Jude Miles
Avery Mollett
Kaydn Nowell
Luke Parks
Claire Powell
Dylan Siao
Tyson Smith
Mia Stokes
Drew Taylor
Brylee Wangler
Hannah Whitaker
Newton Xie
Bethany Young