Members of Grapevine Colleyville ISD’s Hope Squad were officially inducted into the program Nov. 9 and recognized by the district's counseling team and campus counselors for their efforts in the suicide prevention program.

The details

According to a district news release, Hope Squad is a nationwide program begun by a principal in Utah who had experienced one too many student suicides in his school. The news release states that in GCISD, the program is in every middle school, Colleyville Heritage High School and Grapevine High School.

Emberly Hill, GCISD director of counseling and general education homebound services, emphasized that the students involved in Hope Squad are not taking the place of school counselors. Rather they are nominated by their peers as good listeners—students who other students naturally go to and trust.

“We’re training Hope Squad members to get their friend to a trusted adult,” Hill said.

Zooming in

According to the news release, Hope Squad members all have parent permission to participate. They also go through training where they learn such things as listening for trigger words that indicate there is something wrong and their friend needs to talk to a trusted adult.

The news release states that the idea for the districtwide induction came from Roy Rodriguez, student advocacy counselor at CHHS, who works with Hope Squad members and organized the first-ever induction for his students last year at CHHS.

“These students are doing a huge service for other students,” Rodriguez said. “Our thought process was that if we can induct students into National Honor Society for good grades, why can’t we induct students who are in Hope Squad being kind, spreading hope and looking for signs that might save other students’ lives.”

Put in perspective

Since the Nov. 9 induction ceremony, Hope Squad members on GCISD campuses have been working to spread motivational and positive messages in a variety of ways, GCISD Director of Communications Rosemary Gladden said. These include:

• Motivational notes placed on restroom mirrors at Colleyville Heritage High School
• Donating items to nursing homes
• Positive messages posted around Grapevine Middle School
• Thoughtful Thursday announcements that introduce healthy coping strategies at Grapevine High School

Gladden said that beyond these efforts, students on Hope Squad begin each year with Question, Persuade, Refer training to recognize when a peer may be struggling.

“Students are taught to always connect struggling peers with an adult,” Gladden said.