Introducing The HOPE Approach

For educators and students alike, the new school year brings with it a specific type of anticipation and excitement: with each new year comes new opportunities and experiences. The new year brings this same energy to Hope Squad. While the work of Hope Squad never stops, each new academic year allows more students the opportunity to learn from and be touched by Hope Squad programming.  

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This year, we’re excited to share the latest update to Hope Squad’s suicide prevention model, The HOPE Approach, which provides a framework for building core competencies in suicide prevention. Our new HOPE Approach Gatekeeper Lesson and the rest of our programming reflect these core competencies. The HOPE Approach expands access to critical suicide prevention knowledge, empowering students to connect peers to trusted adults.  

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With the HOPE Approach framework, Members use the H.O.P.E. acronym to offer help and hope to peers:

• Heads up: Be vigilant and attentive to signs that someone may be struggling  

• Offer support: Show support and acceptance to peers in need

• Provide resources: Share information about available resources and professional support

• Empower peers: Encourage peers to seek help and stay connected within their communities

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Using the HOPE Approach, Members learn about red flags and suicide warning signs, how to offer support, where to find help, and the importance of empowering their peers to seek help while staying connected. The HOPE Approach builds on research demonstrating best practices in gatekeeper training, establishing a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to suicide prevention (Cross et al., 2011; Burnette et al., 2015).  

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The HOPE Approach streamlines training requirements for Advisors while ensuring their readiness to assist students. Previously, at least one person in each school/district was required to maintain QPR Gatekeeper Trainer Certification. The 6-hour course costs $695 and requires renewal every three years, and only the Certified QPR Gatekeeper Trainer could teach the QPR Gatekeeper Lesson to Hope Squad Members.

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With the HOPE Approach, Squads are no longer required to maintain a Certified QPR Gatekeeper Trainer within their school or district; instead, Advisors will complete either a 60-minute QPR or a 90-minute LivingWorks Gatekeeper training, equipping all Advisors with the essential, life-saving knowledge necessary to lead a Hope Squad in a more time-and-cost-effective manner. This transition allows all certified Hope Squad Advisors to teach The HOPE Approach Gatekeeper Lesson to their Members, providing Squads more flexibility in ensuring all Members gain critical knowledge of suicide prevention.  

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For Members, these changes mean that instead of receiving gatekeeper training only through a one-time QPR lesson, the HOPE Approach aligns and integrates with all other components of Hope Squad’s programming and curriculum. Core competencies are consistently reinforced, providing Members with ongoing education, skill-building, and understanding of both suicide prevention and the importance of developing protective factors within their communities.  

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After teaching the HOPE Approach to her squad, Hope Squad Advisor Tamie Law from Florida shared enthusiasm for the new materials and method of gatekeeper training for students, saying, “The HOPE Approach was more comprehensive [and] relevant for the students...they paid attention and participated in the HOPE Approach more than they had [with past training].”

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The addition of the HOPE Approach to our programming advances Hope Squad’s aim of fostering human connection and elevating mental well-being. We are thrilled that our Advisors and Members will be empowered with the HOPE Approach, enabling them to continue to affect positive change in their schools and communities as we work together to share hope and save lives.