How can I help students with today's challenges?
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With peer pressure heightened and exposure to bullying increased by technology, our youth are experiencing abnormal quantities of stress. Students live in fear of school shootings and cyber bullying. They are exposed to sex and questions about their sexual identities before they reach puberty. The pressure for “likes” and the quest for validation through internet fame have twisted priorities. These rapid changes in societal norms have increased the generational divides and created a crisis in which young people are left adrift, trying to figure how to navigate their worlds alone.
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There are successful intervention strategies to help them. We know that young people look to their peers for guidance and, with proper training, those peers can learn to identify signs of trouble and take steps to intervene before tragedy strikes. Through the creation of peer programs, students, parents and staff acknowledge that “we’re all in this together” and work towards a unified goal instead of competing with each other. This positive peer pressure and community involvement can literally be the difference between life and death for young people.
Choosing a Peer Counseling Program for Your School
When choosing a peer counseling program, it is important to keep in mind the character of your school as well as the body of students that you will be serving. These programs are as alive as the participants; evolving and changing each year with the students, program coordinators and staff members that are involved. Then ask yourself, “What makes my campus unique? What are our specific needs? What are the concerns and priorities of the campus at large?” Contemplate these and other things as you consider what features should be included in your program.
While each program is unique to the school it serves, after 30 years of working in the crisis and behavioral health fields and implementing successful peer programs in Arizona and California, Sande has identified which elements are commonly included in successful, long-term peer counseling programs.
Choosing a Peer Counseling Program for Your School
When choosing a peer counseling program, it is important to keep in mind the character of your school as well as the body of students that you will be serving. These programs are as alive as the participants; evolving and changing each year with the students, program coordinators and staff members that are involved. Then ask yourself, “What makes my campus unique? What are our specific needs? What are the concerns and priorities of the campus at large?” Contemplate these and other things as you consider what features should be included in your program.
While each program is unique to the school it serves, after 30 years of working in the crisis and behavioral health fields and implementing successful peer programs in Arizona and California, Sande has identified which elements are commonly included in successful, long-term peer counseling programs.
Key Elements: What to look for in a successful peer counseling program
Overview:
Program may consist of credit bearing as well as extracurricular components.
Initial Process:
Step 1 – An orientation to the program including an overview of how peer counseling works and the time commitments that would be required from students.
Step 2 – An interview and application process that might include (1) a broad call to the entire school population as well as (2) active solicitation by teachers and staff of individual students who have unique talents and life situations that they believe would be valuable in assisting other students. Applications would be evaluated by program coordinators for final selection.
Step 3 – Begin with an initial training consisting of 1 to 2 full days of training and "getting to know you" exercises. This can be done on individual days or as a weekend retreat at which peer counselors bond with each other and the program facilitators.
Step 4 – Individual peer counseling assignments are given to students. This may include any or all of the following:
Step 5 – Begin! Now that everything is in place, it's time to actively offer peer counseling services to the campus at large.
Overview:
Program may consist of credit bearing as well as extracurricular components.
Initial Process:
Step 1 – An orientation to the program including an overview of how peer counseling works and the time commitments that would be required from students.
Step 2 – An interview and application process that might include (1) a broad call to the entire school population as well as (2) active solicitation by teachers and staff of individual students who have unique talents and life situations that they believe would be valuable in assisting other students. Applications would be evaluated by program coordinators for final selection.
Step 3 – Begin with an initial training consisting of 1 to 2 full days of training and "getting to know you" exercises. This can be done on individual days or as a weekend retreat at which peer counselors bond with each other and the program facilitators.
Step 4 – Individual peer counseling assignments are given to students. This may include any or all of the following:
- Ambassador: The core of a peer counseling program, ambassadors assist with new student orientation, outreach programs, education initiatives, special projects & fundraising.
- On-call counselors: These counselors have free periods before, during & after school hours in which they agree to be available for crisis intervention.
- Scheduled Assistants: The assistants have specific class periods where they are assigned to the program coordinators’ office(s). During these periods, assistants are available to help walk-in students or other complete other tasks as assigned by the coordinators. They are expected to use their free time during these periods to work on a significant project for which they will earn course credit.
Step 5 – Begin! Now that everything is in place, it's time to actively offer peer counseling services to the campus at large.
Ongoing components:
- Meetings are scheduled for students to receive peer support and discuss problem solving strategies. Counselors check in with each other to discuss information they need to move forward in completing their specific assignments, to get advice and to receive moral support.
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Curriculum Components:
The following are ways in which students might earn credit for work related to the peer counseling program.
Keep in mind: These are the broad components of successful peer counseling programs. Each component is customizable and, indeed, looks very different depending on the individual school, students and coordinators involved in the program. The scaffolding above provides some key features to look for in a program as coordinators develop determine what their particular school needs.
The following are ways in which students might earn credit for work related to the peer counseling program.
- Assistant Program: Students work as assistants to the program coordinators, completing a significant project for credit. This works much like a teacher’s assistant program in college. Significant projects vary and might include students providing training/informational sessions for parents and staff regarding challenges young people face today.
- Health Course: Peer counseling information such as conflict resolution, crisis de-escalation and suicide prevention can be introduced as part of Health class curriculum. At the end of the course, students would learn about peer counseling and be invited to apply to the program.
Keep in mind: These are the broad components of successful peer counseling programs. Each component is customizable and, indeed, looks very different depending on the individual school, students and coordinators involved in the program. The scaffolding above provides some key features to look for in a program as coordinators develop determine what their particular school needs.