Hope Squad Members Reach Out to Peers To Bolster Mental Health
By Dianna Troyer
Hope Squad members at Minico High School know 1 truth: teens turn to each other before they turn to adults. That’s why they’re always ready to step in when a classmate is in need.
Minico’s peer-to-peer counseling group is among more than 950 Hope Squad chapters nationwide established to improve teens’ mental health and decrease suicide rates.
Hope Squad was founded in Provo in 2004 “to foster human connection, community, and hope.” Students elect their classmates as squad members based on who they can turn to during times of trouble. They learn an approach to help others called QPR, an acronym for Question, Persuade, and Refer.
The squad is planning several activities for Suicide Prevention Month in September. Possibilities include a clothing drive, balloon release, and making posters with reminders to think of joy, peace, and happiness.
“Hope Squad truly is something magical,” squad member and senior Kaitlynne Hall says. “I love that we can all come together to help our community learn that suicide is a real issue with teens. It’s nice having people on our team who have experiences and stories that others can relate to, which helps them feel at ease to share what they might be confronting. Everyone struggles in 1 way or another.”
Members hold assemblies for each grade at the start of the school year to introduce themselves to classmates and explain Hope Squad’s mission. They also wear their Hope Squad apparel once a week, such as T-shirts with the motto “Stay; Tomorrow Needs You” or sunglasses printed with the phrase “Shade Out Negativity.”
Principal Kimberley Kidd says her predecessor, Suzette Miller, heard about Hope Squad and brought it to the school to counter youth suicides in the area.
“It was set up as a class in the 2017-2018 school year,” she says. “We really saw the support and need during 2020. To improve mental health and student well-being, we need to provide multiple resources— hotlines, counselors, on-campus education, and peer groups, just to name a few.”
Members meet for an hour 4 days a week with adviser Lorinda Garner, a science teacher, to learn about mental health issues.
“My principal asked students which teachers they trusted to go to for help, and my name was given, so I took the training to teach the class,” she says. “It’s been rewarding. Our annual membership ranges from 11 to 28.”
Minico’s Hope Squad plans activities throughout the year. They host monthly lunch activities and share social media posts. In October, they dress up in Halloween costumes to give away candy during the school’s Trunk or Treat. In November, they host Friends-Giving during the week of Thanksgiving and prepare a meal for classmates.
“We invite those who could use a dose of hope, and hopefully we all make some new friends,” Kaitlynne says. “We want kids to know they’re not alone.”
2 other major activities are Hope Week around Valentine’s Day and Hope Walk at the end of school during May, when squad members walk around the track to bring awareness to suicide prevention.
Squad members describe the program’s impact and the insights they have gained.
“It was surprising to learn that in rural areas like ours, there are so few resources for people who need to talk to a professional about how they’re feeling,” senior Jobie Andrade says. “The suicide rate around here is really sad.”
He says the squad members have become like family.
“We’re small and talk about trauma in our lives and how we can help others who might be struggling,” Jobie says. “We’re not judgmental.”
Senior Dulce “Karina” Martinez says she was surprised to learn how many factors can impact a person’s mental health and take a toll on someone.
“We learned to be aware of signs and behavior that might indicate a person is going through something,” she says. “But sometimes a person closest to you can be dealing with mental health issues and hide it so you wouldn’t even know. We learn ways to communicate and know that just listening to people talk about sensitive personal topics and their struggles can be comforting for them.”
Karina says being on the squad opened her eyes and made her realize how serious mental health issues can be.
“There should be more resources and awareness about mental health,” she says. “We want people to know that it’s OK to not be OK and that there’s always someone who will listen to you and be there for you. That’s what I hope—that Hope Squad can do that for those in our school and schools around us.”