Thousands of schools trust Hope Squad to change their community's culture.
98% of school administrators agree Hope Squad promotes a positive school climate.
What is a Hope Squad?
A Hope Squad is a group of students nominated by their peers.
They meet regularly with trained Advisors to talk and learn about mental health.
Members are trained to note signs of distress and reach out, connecting peers to help and hope.
Hope Squads educate the entire student body to reduce stigma and change their school's culture.
A Hope Squad is a group nominated by their peers.
Get involved
Wherever you are, you can help spread hope, change culture, and reduce the risk of suicide.
Start a Hope Squad near you
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Start a Hope Squad near you
Are you interested in bringing Hope Squad to your organization? We provide all of the training, content, and support needed to successfully launch a new Hope Squad.
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Partner with Hope Squad
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Partner with Hope Squad
Are you an organization interested in working with Hope Squad? We partner with foundations, mental health non-profits, and other community-based organizations to advance our mission.
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Advocate for Hope Squad
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Advocate for Hope Squad
Are you passionate about the work Hope Squad is doing? Community members can spread the word about how Hope Squad's peer-to-peer approach helps reduce the risk of suicide.
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Hope Squad Program
Learn more about our mental health curriculum, our evidence-based programming, and how they work.
View nowOur Impact
Thousands of schools across the United States trust the Hope Squad Program to foster connection and reduce the risk of suicide. Research shows that Hope Squads have a positive impact on members and their communities while normalizing conversations about mental health.
Approved by and listed in the SPRC Best Practices Registry
Hope Squad is on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Best Practices Registry. This verifies that our programming has been reviewed by experts to ensure it aligns with the most current guidance on preventing suicide and that it has demonstrated effectiveness in addressing the factors known to increase the likelihood of youth suicide.
Bring Hope Squad to your community
Get startedFrequently Asked Questions
Is it dangerous to talk about suicide?
Research has shown that having open conversations about suicide makes a person in crisis feel heard. When we refuse to talk about suicide, it sends the message to those who are struggling that it is not okay to talk about what they are experiencing or ask for help. Hope Squad empowers members to talk about suicide and connect those in crisis to help.
What exactly do Hope Squad members learn?
Hope Squad content aligns closely with social-emotional learning, creating a foundation for members to practice and build social awareness, relationship skills, self-management, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making. At the elementary level, members learn about mental wellness, anti-bullying, and resilience. At the junior high level and beyond, members are also educated on suicide risk factors and warning signs and are empowered with the knowledge of how to connect struggling peers to timely help. Members are NOT asked to be counselors, but rather are taught to recognize the signs that a peer is struggling and refer them to trusted help.
How much does it costs to start a Hope Squad?
Click here to contact our team. We will be happy to answer your questions and help direct you to information on grants and funding, if needed.