Students Inspire Compassion With Hope Squad

About five years ago, Falmouth High School became the first school in Massachusetts to form a Hope Squad—a group of roughly 40 Falmouth High School students that helps disprove the notion of teenagers being disconnected or lacking empathy in the digital age. Since its formation, Falmouth Hope Squad members and advisors have helped towns across the Cape get involved in the program.

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The FHS Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention and mental health advocacy group advised by school adjustment counselor Catherine Fauth, works to make high school an empathetic community to which everyone belongs.

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Students Emily Hayes and Maisie Chase contacted the Enterprise in hopes of honoring the work that their fellow Hope Squad members, especially the seniors, have done to build empathy amongst high school students.

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“Hope Squad helps people be more connected to each other,” Maisie said in an interview with the Enterprise.

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“It makes school feel more like a community,” Emily, a four-year member of the Hope Squad, added.

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Students are nominated by their peers to be members of the squad. This year, Emily said, three students wrote letters advocating for themselves in hopes of joining. Fauth said four or five times a year, students in the Hope Squad are pulled out of classes for a half day to participate in training sessions. Fauth emphasized in an interview with the Enterprise that students are not trained to be therapists; rather, they are trained using the HOPE approach—Heads up, Offer support, Provide resources and Empower peers.

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“They’re trained to be the eyes and ears in the school,” Fauth said.

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Many students may not feel comfortable speaking with an adult about their mental health challenges, she added. Hope Squad members are trained to look out for students who are not acting like their normal selves and offer support to those students. Hope Squad members are trained to support, validate and refer students struggling with mental health challenges to an appropriate adult who can help.

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Once every two weeks, Hope Squad members meet before school at 6:40 AM. Fauth said most students surprisingly make those early meetings. Maisie and Emily said senior members are tasked with helping to run the meetings. They participate in icebreakers, occasionally enjoy snacks together and plan mental health initiatives to promote positivity for their peers.

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On Wednesday, December 11, members of the Hope Squad posted positive affirmations throughout the school, Fauth said. The messages of encouragement were pasted on mirrors, in hallways and on teachers’ doors. They are intended to show students, especially those struggling with mental health challenges, that people in their community care about them and see them, Fauth said.

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Students also make plans to support their community during their biweekly meetings. Fauth said students have recognized a need within the athletic programs. Emily and Maisie noted that high-achieving athletes often experience high pressure and perfectionism. To show their support and spread the message of mental health support, Fauth said students in the Hope Squad are planning to show their support more and make their presence known at games.

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To make their presence known online, too, FHS Hope Squad also has an Instagram page, where they post positive messages collected from fellow students. Students are asked to share the best parts of their week, videos of each member of the squad introducing themselves and saying, “I’m here if you ever need anything,” “Don’t be afraid to reach out” and “We’re here for you.”

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Fauth said students in Hope Squad understand that they are the “good vibes group” that helps peers who are struggling to not feel alone.

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In February, members of the Hope Squad will be student leaders during a two-day event called Challenge Day. Students in each grade will be welcomed to participate in the daylong workshop, which is intended to combat bullying and stereotyping while promoting community and empathy.

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Hope Squad students are also preparing to participate and lead their peers during No Guff Week, a week-long anti-bullying campaign throughout the district.

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Emily and Maisie said some students start Hope Squads at their colleges and universities after graduation. Both agreed that Hope Squad has enriched their experiences at FHS and pulled the community together, especially during times of tragedy.

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Both students said lessons they had learned as Hope Squad members were vital as the school community grieved the tragic death of FHS senior Ava M. LoDico following a car accident on prom night last spring.

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Students help each other learn how to sit with their pain, Fauth said. The way the students show up for each other and offer each other support through hard times, is the reason why advising the Hope Squad is one Fauth’s “favorite parts of the job.”

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Originally published at https://www.capenews.net/falmouth/news/students-inspire-compassion-with-hope-squad/article_928924c1-fc84-44c0-9033-d7e543c7e8f3.html