Peer Support Program

Students Helping Students: A New Peer Support Model for Schools

The Students Supporting Students Peer Support Program is a new model being piloted by CHDI that trains middle and high school students to provide mental health information and support to peers with the help of trusted adults in the school setting.

We know that adolescents are already having conversations in school about their mental health and well-being with their peers. This model - developed by CHDI based on best practices from around the country - aims to train students to provide accurate and supportive information to help their peers have these conversations more effectively and encourage seeking help from trusted adults in the school setting.

Student peer team members will:

• Participate in training to recognize mental health signs and symptoms in their peers, reduce the stigma around asking for help, and encourage help seeking to a trusted adult within the school
• Design and implement activities – created BY students FOR students - throughout the year that educate their peers about behavioral health, normalize having conversations around mental health to reduce stigma, and promote help-seeking when someone needs support
• Receive ongoing guidance and support from an adult advisor trained on effective implementation of the Peer Support model

Similar programs have found positive impacts on the well-being (e.g., increases in mental health knowledge and self-esteem) of both the students receiving the peer supports and those serving on the peer team. Peer team members will also strengthen their leadership and communication skills.

Learn more about the research behind school-based Peer Support programs in our 2023 Issue Brief.

Piloting the New Model

CHDI is currently piloting the Students Supporting Students peer support model in three schools in Connecticut:

• Highville Charter School (New Haven)
• Lebanon Middle School (Lebanon)
• Lyman Memorial High School (Lebanon)

Pilot schools receive no-cost training and support from CHDI along with exclusive access to our new Peer Support Student and Staff Advisor Guides. Their results and feedback will be critical to refining and strengthening the model before it is disseminated more widely.

We are still seeking one additional middle or high school anywhere in Connecticut to pilot this model during the 2024-25 school year. Interested in getting your school involved? Download our flyer here or contact Project Coordinator Mackenzie Wink, Ph.D. at mwink@chdi.org to learn more.