Students Supporting Students
Students Supporting Students is a new school-based peer support model being that trains middle and high school students to provide mental health information and support to peers in the school setting.
A school-based peer support model
We know that adolescents are already having conversations with their peers in school about their mental health and well-being. Students Supporting Students is a new school-based peer support model that trains and empowers students to provide accurate mental health information and support to their peers and encourage them to seek help from trusted adults.
The model was developed by CHDI based on current research and best practices from around the country and is currently being piloted in several Connecticut middle and high schools.
Learn more about the research behind the model's development in our recent Issue Brief
Student peer team members will:
Issue Brief 90: Students Helping Students
Learn more about the research behind school-based Peer Support programs in our 2023 Issue Brief.
The impact of peer support in schools
Similar programs have found a positive impact on the well-being (e.g., increases in mental health knowledge and self-esteem) of both the students receiving peer support and those serving on the peer team. Peer team members will also strengthen their leadership and communication skills.
Student peer support teams can also play an important role in fostering a positive, inclusive, supportive culture for the entire school community.
Pilot Schools in Connecticut
CHDI is piloting the Students Supporting Students peer support model in four Connecticut schools throughout the 2024-25 school year:
- Highville Charter School (New Haven)
- Lebanon Middle School (Lebanon)
- Lyman Memorial High School (Lebanon)
- Bristol Eastern High School (Bristol)
Pilot schools receive no-cost training and support from CHDI, along with access to our new Student Peer Support Guides for students and staff advisors. Their results and feedback will help to refine and strengthen the model before it is disseminated more widely.
Our communications team recently checked in with the pilot schools to see how their work is going so far. Read an update and see more photos of student-led activities here.
You can also read recent Q&As with staff advisors at two pilot schools to learn more about their experiences and see their tips for other schools:
“I have learned that any mental health or SEL initiative geared towards students must have the support, guidance, and buy-in of the student body... What we think is happening as adults and what students are experiencing may be two very different things."
Interested in getting your school involved?
The new Students Supporting Students program guides and handouts for peer support team members and adult advisors are now available free to any middle or high schools looking to implement the program. Submit our interest form to request the download link:
CHDI strongly encourages any interested school to contact us directly for support with training and implementing the model with your staff and students.
CHDI developed the Students Supporting Students program and team/advisor guides with funding from the State of Connecticut. The program is modeled after the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center’s (EFDC) Peer-to-Peer Depression Awareness Program.
Students Supporting Students Guides
Submit this form to download the guides for advisors and students: