Students train to watch for at-risk peers

By Juliette Coulter

On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, more than 1,000 teen members from across North Texas will gather at the third annual Texas Peer-to-Peer Youth Conference to connect and learn from others about how to break the stigma of discussing mental health and to provide help and hope for their fellow students and communities. 

In its third year, this peer-to-peer conference sold out the first day of registration. Students will come from 29 school districts, private and charter school systems throughout North Texas and spend a day learning about how to help their peers through inspirational talks, interactive breakout sessions and mentoring. 

The conference features a day of dynamic speakers interacting with conference attendees from across North Texas. It runs 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Dr. Marcelo Cavazos Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 900 E. Sanford St., Arlington, TX 76011. The conference is presented by a collaboration of Grace Loncar Foundation, Grant Halliburton Foundation and The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, nonprofits founded in memory of loved ones lost to suicide.  

Peer-to-peer groups are the eyes and ears of a school, students trained to watch for at-risk peers, provide friendship, identify warning signs and seek help from adults. The groups work with school advisors to train students identified by their classmates as trustworthy peers. Through evidence-based training modules, these members are empowered to be a safe contact for their classmates. Peer-to-peer members are not taught to act as counselors, but rather, are educated on how to recognize signs of suicidal ideation, and how to properly and respectfully report this to an adult. 

Kevin Hall, president of Grant Halliburton Foundation, said: “It’s a privilege to co-host this conference for students who are helping their classmates through service, hope and kindness. We want to keep our young people healthy, hopeful and here, and these peer-to-peer teams are important in helping us do that.”

Currently, there are more than 2,500 peer-to-peer members on more than 200 campuses across North Texas. These students were invited to the conference to connect with members from other schools around the state, build a network of support and learn and collaborate with one another.

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24 in Texas,” said Matt Vereecke, CEO of The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation. “This conference provides these members an opportunity to learn more about how they can provide a safe and supportive space at their schools for students struggling with mental health and help reverse this staggering statistic.”