Shenandoah schools working to implement Hope Squad program

Shenandoah officials are in the initial stages of implementing a new suicide prevention effort in the school district.

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That was the update from Shenandoah High School Principal Ty Ratliff on KMA's "Morning Line" program earlier this week. Based on a national program, the Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer counseling program focused on three areas: connection, community, and prevention. Ratliff, along with High School Counselor Bailey Campin and At-Risk Interventionist Natalie Denton, are spearheading the effort. Ratliff tells KMA News that they recently went through the nomination process for students to serve in the program.

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"They're peer nominated, so the staff really doesn't have any say on who is in this as far as that goes, and the peer groups freshman through seniors are all eligible," said Ratliff. "We really try to dwindle those down to 10 to 15 kids and they do have to have a parent meeting, so they're fully involved in the process of what's expected of them and are always in the loop."

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Ratliff says the students nominated would go through a curriculum. But, he notes they would simply serve as listeners or provide assistance for fellow students who might be struggling.

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"We're not training the kids involved in it to be counselors by any means," he said. "We're training them on how to respond when they see something or hear something and how to provide help in that time--whether that be finding a trusted adult, a Hope Squad advisor, whatever that might look like."

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Ratliff notes parental consent is required, and both the parents and students receiving counseling must sign a contract in order to participate. However, Ratliff emphasized that the program is a chance for students to help out their fellow peers facing various issues.

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"You know there is bullying, harassment, and things like that, but it really focuses around the students and is more or less student led, kind of like a student council group," said Ratliff. "We have two advisors Natalie Denton and Bailey Campin, our guidance counselor, and they meet with the students weekly to bi-weekly."

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School officials say the goal remains to launch the program in the second semester. Some of the other KMAland districts participating in the Hope Squad include Missouri Valley, Lenox, and Logan-Magnolia.

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Originally published online at https://www.kmaland.com/news/shenandoah-schools-working-to-implement-hope-squad-program/article_cbb86e68-c917-11ef-983e-9b1300a352f7.html