1. College Hope Squad: A Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Program
Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health Conference
May 21, 2019

2. Relevant Program Learning Objectives
Identify strategies to collaborate and engage student groups on campus
Describe the comprehensive approach to suicide prevention with student peers, and promoting a successful stigma reduction campaign

3. College/University Suicide
According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center suicide is a leading cause of death among college students
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults.
Risk Factors
Protective Factors
Behavioral health and substance abuse problems
Positive mood/thinking
Social alienation, Loneliness
Desire to finish school/future goals
Academic problems
Internal locus of control
Financial problems
Problem-solving skills
Sleep problems
Social Support
Lack of support
Supportive and Inclusive peer mentoring environment
Change of role (from child to adult) stressors
Access to effective mental health care

5. What is suicide, really?
Emotional pain caused by a variety of factors, but not necessarily always mental health disorders (although this can be one reason)
Pain is considered irreversible
Problems do not seem to have a solution
Often people do not want to “burden others” and will try to live with the pain until their strength is gone
People who are suicidal don’t want to die, they just want the pain to go away

6. What is emotional pain? The tangled necklace Strength gives out
(sad, hopeless)
(frustration, aggravation)
Strength gives out

7. One way to address suicide on your campus…

8. What is a Hope Squad?
A peer-to-peer, school-based, suicide prevention program
Students are nominated (in college, recruited) to do intentional outreach and school-wide education and support for peers in distress
Overseen and supported by trusted adult mentors comprised of faculty and staff at the school/college
Curriculum consists of nine modules (next slide) developed by national experts in suicide prevention
Curriculum is delivered in a group setting with advisors

9. Why Hope Squad?
Young people are more likely to tell each other about their despair instead of an adult or a going to a professional
This continues because
Peers are usually untrained in what to do
The culture of a school/community often feels stigmatizing
Hope Squads exist to identify despair and shepherd someone to safety and to change the culture of their school

10. Why start a Hope Squad at a college/university?
Flexibility in the model to implement at the college level
College Hope Squad curriculum
Students feel more disconnected in college than at lower grades
Hope Squads can work directly with counseling services, faculty, and staff to work toward a changed culture and student safety from suicide

11. Starting a Hope Squad with college modifications
Recruitment instead of nominations

12. Hope Squad college curriculum, Year 1
Phase 1: QPR
Phase 5: How to communicate effectively about suicide
Phase 2: Becoming part of a Hope Squad
Phase 6: Boundaries and Self-Care
Phase 3: How to notice signs of suicidal intent
Phase 7: Sexual Assault and Rape
Phase 4: How to help a peer
Phase 8: Understanding the Grief Process

13. Who are Hope Squad advisors?
Faculty and Staff who volunteer their time to mentor and support the Hope Squad students
Recruited by those organizing Hope Squad on campus
For a small university, it could be folks from CAPS and a few others
For a larger university, it may be folks from different programs throughout the campus
Advisors meet with the Hope Squad members regularly to deliver the curriculum, role play, debrief, and support

14. Who are the Hope Squad members?
Students with natural helping skills and who take the mission seriously
Students with natural resilience and a passion for suicide prevention (or willingness to get trained and volunteer time)
Students who will commit to the required training and activity time

15. What do the Hope Squad members do?
They use their radars for suicide risk factors and warning signs to identify peers in distress
They do intentional outreach
They provide education and awareness raising activities for their campus
They engage other students in the mission of saving lives

16. Are Hope Squads effective?
Data collection and research
Pre- and Post- Surveys
Significant improvements in knowledge and skills
Low burnout rates
Suicide concern contact data
Hope Squad students are referring 25%-30% of students in distress in year 1
As the culture of a school/campus changes over time, HS referrals go down, and self-referrals and non-HS student referrals go up
Current research studies and results
Utah- students more likely in Hope Squad schools to seek help from trusted adults
Just completed year 1 of a comparison trial

17. Matriculation in Ohio
Your Ohio campuses could have matriculating Hope Squad members
This could be a resource to leverage

18. Questions?
Jennifer Wright-Berryman, PhD Assistant Professor of Social Work and National Lead Researcher, Hope Squad Program Director of Data and Analytics, Grant Us Hope