Hope Squad logo

"Share the Hope"

Video Contest for
Hope Squads and
individual members!

START A SQUAD
Connection
Hope Squad empowers students
to build meaningful connections
with their peers and to create
a culture of caring and support
within the school, the community,
and within themselves.
The School-Based
Peer-to-Peer
Suicide Prevention Program
In partnership with the QPR Institute
Over 1,500 Hope Squads nationwide.
In partnership with the QPR Institute


ANNUAL THEME:
PAUSING in a healthy way can help us handle the challenges life gives us with greater skill. It keeps us from living life on auto-pilot. It can give us room to be inspired with new ideas or to see new opportunities. BREATHING brings us into the present moment without regrets from the past or anxiety for the future. HOPE empowers us to move forward with belief of a better future.
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START A SQUAD

What is Hope Squad?

Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program. Hope Squad members are nominated by their classmates as trustworthy peers and trained by advisors. The program reduces youth suicide through education, training, and peer intervention. 

1

States & Canada, Ghana Africa, and South Korea

800 +

Schools

8000 +

Hope Squad Members

1000 +

Students Referred for Help

Put your school on the map! Contact us!
Hope squad has impacted me by creating an amazing group of people I’m glad I could become friends with. We all strive to make each other happy and help everyone with whatever they need, and that makes us happy. I love having that group of people to I can look up to and rely on listening when I need them.
Samantha K.
Hope squad has brought me closer to people I may not have talked to. It has made me look at things in a new way and has made me understand more of what people are going through. Being in Hope Squad, I feel, has made me a better person, and it has taught me to never judge people because you never know what they could really be going through.
Maurisa M.
The Hope Squad has provided a safe environment. Even if I don’t actively talk about it, it gives me a sense of calm knowing if I ever did need to talk to someone, I have the resources that the Hope Squad offers on my side.
Gracie F.

Hope Squad on

NBC Nightly New headline Hope Squad and Teen Suicide

May, 2019
(Update: There are now over 1,600 Squads in 41 states and Canada)

Why Start a Hope Squad?

    • Train staff and community members in youth suicide prevention through evidence-based training.
    • Empower the natural helpers in your school through peer-to-peer suicide prevention training.
    • Raise awareness of mental health and youth suicide prevention resources. 
    • Educate students on how to recognize suicide warning signs and respectfully report concerns.
    • Train students how to support fellow students who may be struggling.
    • Increase connectedness, inclusion, and social-emotional learning skills.
    • Increase help-seeking behaviors.
    • Reduce suicide attempts.

Hope Squad Helps

Nationally known for our ability to connect students with each other and to mental health resources, Hope Squad has a process that works on all levels for youth suicide prevention.

PanHandle

Prevention

School suicide prevention involves educating the school community and increasing mental health, connectedness, and resilience.

Madeira

Intervention

Intervention involves recognizing when someone is at risk for suicide and referring the person to mental health resources.

Hands

Postvention

Postvention involves helping those affected by a suicide cope with the loss and reducing the risk of further suicides.

Hope Squad members strive to:

  • Create a safe school environment
  • Promote connectedness
  • Support anti-bullying
  • Encourage mental wellness
  • Reduce mental health stigma
  • Prevent substance misuse

Community Suicide Prevention

The impact of suicide is far-reaching and affects entire communities. When cities, mental health organizations, and schools work together for youth suicide prevention, the entire community is strengthened. We speak a common language—we are educated to understand warning signs and recognize who is at risk. We gain common understanding—we know how to intervene and what to do. We have common knowledge—we know how to access resources and where to go for help. Working together, there is HOPE that suicide can be prevented. 

Click articles below to read more about Hope Squads

Quotes from our newly-trained advisors

I feel like this will make a huge difference. I think this is a wonderful program. I can't wait to get started.
Hi! I teach middle school English. I was asked by our counselor to join this program. This hits close to home. I have lost several friends to suicide and if I can be the one to help, I want to be that one.
I am excited to get through this training. I chose to start this journey because I see such a need in my students to have somewhere safe to go and mentors they can look to for an example.
I'm a middle school history teacher from Ft. Worth, TX. I wanted to join Hope Squad because teenagers need advocates. I want to be that for the kids in my school.
I've served at-risk youth for the majority of my 18 years as a professional educator. This is the best training I've taken since being introduced to trauma informed care.
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I am a school psychologist in WA. Our school counselor and I want to implement Hope Squad into our building next year. We have a fairly robust PBIS but feel we are missing vital components that Hope Squad offers!
I am a High School science teacher in Texas. I have lost students in the past to suicide so it's important for me to help students understand that there are resources to help them through difficult times in their lives.
Grateful for this training and knowledge. Wish I would have had this opportunity years ago. Thank you!
I am here to give any support needed for students who may be struggling...want to make sure they know they are important and cared for.
Anything to help our children...I think this is a wonderful program!
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This new blog is a work in progress. Please be patient.

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