Empower students with Peer Helpers PLUS

Peer Helpers PLUS is a comprehensive peer-to-peer suicide prevention and support program that empowers students with the character traits and life skills needed to make healthy choices, resolve conflicts, and build positive peer relationships. By fostering leadership and connection, Peer Helpers PLUS helps all students thrive—both academically and personally.

The program has made a real difference in students’ lives, supporting them through challenges like bullying, homelessness, risky behaviors, and academic struggles. Peer Helpers serve as positive role models and trusted guides, helping their peers find support, build resilience, and feel a sense of belonging at school.

Peer Helpers PLUS Program

Peer Helpers PLUS takes a comprehensive, two-tiered approach to promoting the positive development of our youth, as well as reducing youth violence and suicide.

• Tier 1 includes detailed prevention education for all students.

• Tier 2 teaches a eclectic group of students (grades K-12) a core set of skills to help them identify, communicate with, and support their at-risk classmates.

The program covers many of the issues that affect our youth today, such as: bullying, divorce, family illness, body image, grief and coping, mental health and depression.

Peer Helpers PLUS Concept

When a young person is seeking help, validation, or guidance, they will likely reach out to their peers for support long before turning to an adult. The Peer Helpers PLUS program leverages its two components—prevention and support—to prepare and empower youth to advocate for one another, enabling them to continue making a positive impact on each other.

Peer Helpers offer their fellow students encouragement and assistance with the challenges they face in day-to-day life. They serve as tutors, mentors, mediators, and advocates for their peers. They also assist new students in transitioning between schools and communities.

PEER-TO-PEER TRAINING

Peer-to-peer training is an integral component of many youth suicide-prevention programs. It trains the students to recognize warning signs in depressed or suicidal peers, and to empower them to report those signs to an adult.

Peers are considered to be the most effective receptors of warning signs because they spend so much time together and are able to recognize when someone is acting differently. Evidence-based research shows that seven out of ten adolescents experiencing depressive or suicidal thoughts will confide in a friend or trusted peer before approaching an adult. The challenge is that rarely will the friend/trusted peer speak to their peers, and then refer their peers to an adult who can get their peer professional help, thus taking the responsibility off the adolescent.

Get PEER HELPERS PLUS in your school

The Peer Helpers PLUS program can be implemented as an extra-curricular club or an elective course. Instituting this program not only helps schools meet state mandates, but does so in an effective and efficient manner that truly touches the lives of our youth.

Interested in bringing Peer Helpers PLUS to your school? Let’s talk about how Peer Helpers in your school can make a lasting impact on the mental, social, and emotional health of students.

For more information on the Peer Helpers PLUS program, click the button below and fill out the brief form. We’ll be in touch soon.

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